https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2005-10309-6
Quark-Gluon-Plasma Thermalization
The thermal model and the transition from baryonic to mesonic freeze-out
1
UCT-CERN Research Centre and Department of Physics, University of Cape Town, 7701, Rondebosch, South Africa
2
Darmstadt University of Technology, D-64289, Darmstadt, Germany
3
Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Wrocław, Pl. Maksa Borna 9, 50-204, Wrocław, Poland
4
CERN TH, CH 1211, Geneva 23, Switzerland
* e-mail: cleymans@qgp.phy.uct.ac.za
Received:
21
October
2005
Accepted:
2
January
2006
Published online:
31
August
2006
The present status of the thermal model is reviewed and the recently discovered sharp peak in the K +/π+ ratio is discussed in this framework. It is shown that the rapid change is related to a transition from a baryon-dominated hadronic gas to a meson-dominated one. Further experimental tests to clarify the nature of the transition are discussed. In the thermal model the corresponding maxima in the Ξ/π and Ω/π ratios occur at slightly different beam energies.
PACS: 24.10.Pa Thermal and statistical models – / 25.75.Dw Particle and resonance production – / 12.38.Mh Quark-gluon plasma –
© Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag, 2006
