Eur. Phys. J. A (2016) 52: 246
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2016-16246-3

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Directed flow is a sensitive probe of deconfinement transition

¹ National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” (NRC “Kurchatov Institute”), 123182, Moscow, Russia
² National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), 115409, Moscow, Russia

^* e-mail: Y.Ivanov@gsi.de

Received: 28 September 2015
Accepted: 17 November 2015
Published online: 23 August 2016

Abstract

Analysis of available data on directed flow () of protons, antiprotons and pions in heavy-ion collisions is performed in the range of incident energies relevant to the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility (NICA). Simulations have been done within a three-fluid model employing a purely hadronic equation of state (EoS) and two versions of the EoS involving deconfinement transitions: a first-order phase transition and a smooth crossover transition. High sensitivity of the directed flow, especially the proton one, to onset of the deconfinement transition is found. The crossover EoS is favored by the majority of the considered experimental data. Future data from NICA could clarify certain inconsistency of data at A·GeV.