The effect of the spectator charge on the charged pion spectra in peripheral ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

Szczurek, A; Rybicki, A; Gorski, A Z

The effect of the spectator charge on the charged pion spectra in peripheral ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

Authors

Szczurek, A

Rybicki, A

Gorski, A Z

Description

We estimate the electromagnetic effect of the spectator charge on the momentum spectra of charged pions produced in peripheral Pb+Pb collisions at SPS energies. We find a large effect which results in strongly varying structures in the $x_F$ dependence of the $π^+/π^-$ ratio, especially at low transverse momenta where a deep valley in the above ratio is predicted at $x_F \sim$ 0.15 -- 0.20. The effect depends on initial conditions. Thus, it provides new information on the space and time evolution of the non-perturbative pion creation process.
a talk presented by A.Szczurek at the international conference Quark Matter 2006, Shanghai, November 2006