Baryon Number Transport, Strangeness Conservation and Ω-hadron Correlations

Abstract

Although strange quarks are produced in ss¯ss¯ pairs, the ratio of Ω− to Ω¯+Ω¯+ is greater than one in heavy-ion collisions at lower RHIC energies. Thus the produced Ω hyperons must carry net baryon quantum numbers from the colliding nuclei. We present results of K-Ω correlations from AMPT model simulations of Au+Au collisions at √SNN = 14.6 GeVsNN=14.6 GeV, to probe dynamics for baryon number transport to mid-rapidities at this beam energy. We use both the default and string-melting versions to illustrate how hadronization schemes of quark coalescence and string fragmentations could leave imprints on such correlations. Implications on the measurements of these correlations with the STAR experiment at RHIC will also be discussed.