Transverse momentum in high-energy nuclear collisions: Collective expansion

Hadron production in the central region in high-energy nuclear collisions is investigated. The hydrodynamical expansion of a locally thermalized system is studied for both the cases with and without phase transition. The case with phase transition is considered by using a sound-velocity function $c_s$(T) parametrized to fit the energy density determined in a lattice gauge calculation. The effect of a transverse rarefaction wave is included in the calculation of the temperature profile of the expanding fluid. The transverse-momentum distribution of hadrons is calculated by collecting all the hadrons produced when the hadron gas is cooled down to a freeze-out temperature at different times in the expansion. Fluctuation in initial temperature and radius is allowed due to variation in impact parameter. On the basis of a study of the thermalization process in the parton model we impose a constraint on the initial temperature and the thermalization time, the simultaneous variation of both of which gives rise to a relationship between the average transverse momentum and rapidity density. We have found that there is no so-called ‘‘plateau’’ region in that relationship. The implication on the diagnostics of a quark-gluon plasma is discussed.