Spin polarization in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

• Published in: International Journal of Modern Physics E Vol. 33; no. 6
• Main Authors: Becattini, Francesco, Buzzegoli, Matteo, Niida, Takafumi, Pu, Shi, Tang, Ai-Hong, Wang, Qun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Singapore World Scientific Pub Co Pte Ltd 01.06.2024; World Scientific Publishing Company; World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte., Ltd
• Subjects: Heavy ions; Hyperons; Ionic collisions; Kinetic theory; Local thermodynamic equilibrium; Nuclear Theory; Polarization (spin alignment); Quantum theory; Quark-gluon plasma; Relativistic effects; Relativistic theory; Spin; Quark Gluon Plasma; Vector mesons; relativistic fluid; spin kinetic theory; spin hydrodynamics; spin alignment; Global polarization; heavy-ion collision
• ISSN: 0218-3013; 1793-6608
• DOI: 10.1142/s0218301324300066

Polarization has opened a new physics chapter in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Since the first prediction and experimental observation of global spin polarization, a lot of progress has been made in understanding its features, both at experimental and theoretical levels. In this paper, we give an overview on the recent advances in this field. The covered topics include a review of measurements of global and local spin polarization of hyperons and the global spin alignment of vector meson’s. We account for the basic theoretical framework to describe spin polarization in a relativistic fluid such as the Quark–Gluon Plasma, including statistical quantum field theory and local thermodynamic equilibrium, spin hydrodynamics, relativistic kinetic theory with spin and coalescence models.