Collective Flow from the Intranuclear Cascade Model

Abstract

The phenomenon of collective flow in relativistic heavy ion collisions is studied using the hadronic cascade model ARC. Comparison is made to data for $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ at $p\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1.7$ GeV $/c$, and for $\mathrm{Ar}+\mathrm{Pb}$ at $p\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1.4$ GeV $/c$. Collective flow is well described quantitatively without the need for explicit mean field terms to simulate the nuclear equation of state. Pion collective flow is in the opposite direction to nucleon flow, as is that of antinucleons and other produced particles. Pion and nucleon flow are predicted at BNL Alternating Gradient Synchrotron energies also, where, in light of the higher baryon densities achieved, we speculate that equation of state effects may be observable.