Probing nuclear structure with mean transverse momentum in relativistic isobar collisions

Abstract

Transverse momentum (${p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$) generation in relativistic heavy-ion collisions is sensitive to the initial geometry and the final-state bulk evolution. We demonstrate with hydrodynamic calculations that the mean ${p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ ratio (${R}_{\ensuremath{\langle}{p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\rangle}}$) between the highly similar isobar $_{44}^{96}\mathrm{Ru}+_{44}^{96}\mathrm{Ru}$ and $_{40}^{96}\mathrm{Zr}+_{40}^{96}\mathrm{Zr}$ collisions is insensitive to the bulk evolution and remains sensitive to the small difference in the initial nuclear structure (neutron skin and deformation) between the Ru and Zr nuclei. We further find that nuclear deformation can produce an anticorrelation between ${R}_{\ensuremath{\langle}{p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\rangle}}$ and eccentricity (or elliptic flow) in central collisions. These findings suggest that the ${R}_{\ensuremath{\langle}{p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\rangle}}$ between the isobar systems can be used to measure the neutron skin thickness and deformation parameters, which can, in turn, constrain the nuclear symmetry energy slope parameter.