2021
High-energy heavy-ion physics is connected to a large variety of physics disciplines. Researches probe fundamental concepts of classical and modern thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, and quantum theory. Therefore, they have several theoretical and practical topical research directions covering a wide spectrum, such as: thermodynamics, perturbative and non-perturbative QCD, high-energy nuclear effects, hadronization, hadron phenomenology, phenomenology of compact stars, and gravity/cosmology. These studies are strongly motivated by the needs of several recent and planned large-scale facilities, such as collaborations at the LHC (CERN, Switzerland) and RHIC (BNL, USA), and future experiments at FCC (CERN), FAIR (GSI, Germany) and NICA (Dubna, Russia). They have continued these theoretical investigations in the direction of high-energy physics phenomenology connected to existing and future state-of-the-art detectors. Concerning international theoretical collaborations, they have established joint work with the Goethe Institute (Germany), LBNL (USA), CCNU, MAP (China), UNAM (Mexico), Dubna (Russia) and ERI (Japan). The most important published results are highlighted below.
The effective field theory of the strong interaction — As a member of the CBM & HADES collaborations, they continued the planning of the details of the detector. They participated in the detector simulations. They studied the dilepton production process in pion-nucleon collisions in the energy range of the second resonance region, studied experimentally by the HADES collaboration. They extended our previous works by including both non-resonant (Born) contributions as well as contributions of baryon resonances. They gave predictions for the dilepton invariant mass spectrum and the polarization density matrix elements of the intermediate virtual photon and argued that the latter may be accessible in the HADES experiment by studying the angular distribution of dileptons. That way one would actually reconstruct the polarization state of the virtual photon, which would help disentangle various dilepton sources contributing to the process [1].
They calculated the one-loop fermion contribution to the vector and axialvector meson curvature masses in the framework of a (axial)vector meson extended Polyakov-constituent quark-meson model (ELSM). They showed that for certain fields the contribution splits up into transverse and longitudinal parts, which give different contributions to the tree-level masses at finite temperature. They also investigated the behavior of our constituent quark model at zero temperature when vector meson condensates are also included. They found that the inclusion of an additional parameter constraint is necessary to ensure that chiral symmetry is restored at high densities [2,3].
Multi-wavelength astronomy and investigations of super-dense matter in compact stars — Investigation of cold compact stars provides the opportunity to understand cold super-dense nuclear matter. These theoretical developments are strongly connected to recent measurements of compact stars by multi-wavelength observations and gravitational waves and the future Einstein Telescope, which are supported by theoretical networking EU COST action PHAROS (CA162014). They also contributed to the AstroNet EU roadmap, the CREDO collaboration and the CREMLINplus H2020 grant.
Based on the recent NISER data, they verified the variation of neutron star observables by dense symmetric nuclear matter parameters using the Maximal Mass neutron star assumption, where strong linear connection has been tested between macro- and microscopic parameters of neutron star and its matter these results were presented at the Strangeness in Quark Matter SQM2021 conference [4].
They applied nonzero vector condensate at finite baryon chemical potential and at zero temperature in the ELSM to model hybrid stars (compact stars with quark matter at their core). They studied the properties of compact stars when these modifications were included. They calculated mass-radius curves and managed to constrain certain parameters (like the vector coupling or sigma meson mass) of the model with the help of astrophysical observables. We also found a simple relation among the model parameters when we required vanishing of the scalar condensates at asymptotically large baryon chemical potentials[2,3].
Measuring anomalies in natural laws — They published the recent results of the re-measurements of the gravitaional constant by the Eötvös pendulum and they continued the infrasound background noise collection at the Matra Gravitational and Geophysical Laboratory (MGGL – a previous potential site for Einstein Telescope and another subterranean site)[5]. The background noise measured at the MGGL (Hungary), at the Sos Enattos mine in Sardinia (Italy) and at LIGO and adVirgo were compared to each other. They confirmed that it is advantageous to install a third generation interferometric gravitational-wave detector deep under the ground. They also presented, that below 2Hz, the infrasound background noise at adVirgo’s Central Building is dominated by wind. Above 2Hz, the HVAC system is the main contributor. They calculated the Newtonian noise of seismic and infrasound origin of MGGL. They also investigated the seasonal variation of Newtonian noise. An applied-physics project, SeismoCell, has been started to develop portable sensor applications based on the above technologies.
Rare and anomalous radionuclei decay measurements were investigated during the year at the Jánossy Underground Research Laboratory (VLAB). To perform high-precision studies of nuclear decay anomalies they used a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector setup. A modern HPGe detector system was installed, and hardware and software infrastructure was developed that enables automated data-taking and environmental monitoring, remotely [6].
Investigating heavy-ion collisions — High-energy heavy-ion collisions are one of the best testbeds for the non-ideal, non-equilibrium, finite systems. The non-extensive statistical approach, developed by their group, can describe such a matter by enwidening the framework of classical thermodynamics and statistical physics towards non-equilibrium and complex system phenomena.
They studied the production rate of the X(3872) possible tetraquark state at a few GeV energies in proton-proton, pion-proton, and proton-antiproton reactions, near threshold, with a statistical based model. The model gave good match with the measured values for the inclusive production cross sections at TeV energy scale, where measured data were available. The low energy cross-sections were calculated with the model, using the the assumption that the X(3872) particle is a diquark-antidiquark bound state in the triplet-antitriplet representation [7].
They investigated new nuclear effects in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Since classifications based on multiplicity and event-shape variables are available, new nuclear effect can mbe investigated from small to large systems. They obtained that the Tsallis-thermometer is an excellent tool to quantify the geometrical properties of the events[8-9].
In collaboration with the University of Berkeley (USA) and IoPP CCNU (Wuhan, China), they developed the HIJING++ heavy-ion Monte Carlo Generator with G. Papp (ELTE) and X.N. Wang (IoPP CCNU, LBNL). The transplantation of the original, 20 years old code from FORTRAN to C++ programming languages was successful. They built the future Monte Carlo generator for the heavy-ion collisions, HIJING++ were tuned during the passed year also for nucleus-nucleus (AA) collisions. In the framework of a Chinese-Hungarian TÉT project they investigated how a machine-learning hadronization model can be included to Monte Carlo Based particle event generators. A further machine-learning based project has been started after signing the MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology Indore. In the framework of this collaboration, a PhD has spent 3 months collaborating with them [10].
Applying novel thermodynamical approaches — They investigated novel thermodynamical models focusing on the non-Fourier heat conduction and the model test in biological systems [11-15]. They also gave numerical and analytical results to different ballistic-diffusive heat conduction equations [16].
Coordination of the Hungarian ALICE Group and participation in the Bergen pCT collaboration. — They coordinate the Hungarian contribution to CERN's largest heavy-ion experiment ALICE. This activity is many-folded: In addition to data analysis, our group has constructed and tested of the world largest, 90 m3-volume, GEM-based TPC for the ALICE and also the DAQ O2 CRU upgrade projects. This is a joint activity with the newly formed Vesztergombi High-energy Physics Laboratory (VLAB), which awarded the TOP50 Hungarian research infrastructure title. During 2021 the commissioning of the TPC, ITS and DAQ has been done and data taking has been successfully done during the first test beam time. They were involved in the first data challenge programme with the ALICE Analysis Facility of the WSCLAB, which resulted in a Public ALICE Note [17]. They also contributed to the Bergen pCT collaboration, where the detector prottype of the tracking calorimeter has been built, and analysis tracking softwares were developed based on machine learning techniques [18,19].
Coordination of the Wigner Scientific Computational Laboratory (WSCLAB) — They have formed a new open research infrastructure, which relies on the joint Wigner projects: CERN ALICE Analysis Facility, the CERN WLCG Grid T2 site of the CERN’s ALICE and CMS collaborations, and the Wigner GPU Laboratory. The formed new laboratory has been selected as the TOP50 research infrastructure of the Hungarian national grant agency, NRDIO. The WSCLAB was awarded in December 2021 at the University of Pécs.
They operated and developed ALICE GRID Tier-2 Center with about 10% more computational power and storage. They built up 8 racks of the Wigner-ALICE Analysis Facility at the Wigner Datacenter and they have done multi-core run challenges for the ALICE experiment with 100% success rate.
The Wigner GPU Laboratory’s capacity has been doubled by new hardwares, which was intensively used by several project such as the Nanoplasmonic Laser Fusion National Laboratory[20], the Astronomy Depaertment of the Eötvös University [21] the LIGO gravitational wave signal search [22], Heavy-ion Research Group of the Wigner RCP togerther with the Oxford University [10]. They had also an academy-industry project together with the Lombiq LTD [23]. These research projects involved 9 PhD and 3 MSc students.
The WSCLAB has organized the The Future of Computing, Graphics and Data Analysis – GPUday 2021 event jointly with the CERN-Wigner Artificial Intelligence Academia-Industry Matching Event (AI2ME21). Here they have about 80 in person participants from more than 20 countries all around the world in parallel to the online visitors.
Education, PR and prizes. — Connected to our group we had 2 BSc and 9 MSc students. Our young colleagues participated in young researcher's projects and a 1 TDK theses were submitted for the competition, which won the 1st Price at the BME, indeed the Pro Progressio TDK fellowship for 1 year.
So far they had 7 young PhD fellow in the research group. Senior colleagues are members of the ELTE, BME, PTE doctoral programmes. Two PhD theses by Dániel Berényi and Gábor Bíró has been successfully defended at the ELTE TTK Physics Doctoral School. Edit Fenyvesi has also obtained the PhD degree at the University of Debrecen.
Group members played key role in the following workshop, conference and seminar organizations: “GPU Day 2021” at the at Wigner RCP; Zimányi Winter School 2021 (Budapest, Hungary). Group members participated in PR activities at ther alma mater and high-school invitations.
References
1. Zétényi M, Nitt D, Buballa M, Galatyuk T, Role of baryon resonances in the pi(-)p -> ne(+)e(-) reaction within an effective-Lagrangian model, PHYSICAL REVIEW C 104, 015201 , 10 p. (2021) IF: 3.296 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.104.015201
2. Gy. Kovacs, P. Kovacs and Z. Szep, One-loop constituent quark contributions to the vector and axial-vector meson curvature mass, Phys. Rev. D 104, no.5, 056013 (2021) IF=5.296 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.104.056013
3. Takátsy, J.; Kovács, G.; Wolf, G., „Hybrid star properties from an extended linear sigma model”, ASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, 342, 271 (2021), IF = 0.676 https://doi.org/10.1002/asna.202113918
4. B.E. Szigeti, G.G. Barnaföldi, P. Pósfay, A. Jakovác, Estimating Microscopic Nuclear Data by Compact Star Observations, https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.13476 (Accepten in SQM2021)
5. Völgyesi L; Tóth Gy; Szondy Gy; Kiss B; Fenyvesi E; Barnaföldi GG; Égető Cs; Lévai P; Ván P: Jelenlegi Eötvös-inga felújítások, fejlesztések és mérések GEOMATIKAI KÖZLEMÉNYEK / PUBLICATIONS IN GEOMATICS 24 : 1 pp. 129-139. ,11 p. (2021)
6. T.N. Szegedi, G.G. Kiss, P. Mohr, A. Psaltis, M. Jacobi, G.G. Barnaföldi, T. Szücs, G. Gyürky and A. Arcones, Activation thick target yield measurement of Mo100(alpha,n)Ru103 for studying the weak r-process nucleosynthesis, Phys. Rev. C104 (2021) no.3, 035804 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.104.035804 IF=5.42
7. G. Balassa, Gy. Wolf, "Production cross sections of tetraquark states in elementary hadronic collisions", Eur. Phys. J. A, 57: 246 (2021) IF:3.043 https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-021-00553-1
8. A.N. Mishra, G.G. Barnaföldi, G.Paić , Quantifying the Underlying Event: Investigating Angular Dependence of Multiplicity Classes and Transverse-momentum Spectra in High-energy pp Collisions at LHC Energies https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.13938 (in review PRC)
9. R. Vértesi, A. Gémes and G.G. Barnaföldi “Koba-Nielsen-Olesen-like scaling within a jet in proton-proton collisions at LHC energies,'', Phys. Rev. D103 (2021) no.5, L051503 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.103.L051503 IF=5.296
10. G. Bíró, B. Tankó-Bartalis, G.G. Barnaföldi, Studying Hadronization by Machine Learning Techniques, https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.15655
11. M. Szücs, M. Pavelka, R. Kovács, T. Fülöp, P. Ván, and M. Grmela: A case study of non-Fourier heat conduction using internal variables and GENERIC, Journal of Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics, vol. 46, 2021. IF=3.328
12. A. Fehér and R. Kovács: On the evaluation of non-Fourier effects in heat pulse experiments, International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 169, pp. 103577, 2021. IF=8.843
13. R. Kovács, P. Rogolino, and D. Jou: When theories and experiments meet: Rarefied gases as a benchmark of non-equilibrium thermodynamic models, International Journal of Engineering Science, vol. 169, pp. 103574, 2021. IF=3.328
14. A. Fehér, N. Lukács, L. Somlai, T. Fodor, M. Szücs, T. Fülöp, P. Ván, and R. Kovács: Size effects and beyond-Fourier heat conduction in room-temperature experiments, Journal of Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 403–411, 2021. IF=3.328
15. A. Sudár, G. Futaki, and R. Kovács: Continuum modeling perspectives of non-Fourier heat conduction in biological systems, Journal of Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 371–381, 2021. IF=3.328
16. G. Balassa, P. Rogolino, A. Rieth, R. Kovacs, "New perspectives for modelling ballistic-diffusive heat conduction", Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics 33, pp. 2007-2026 (2021) IF:3.822
17. ALICE Collaboration (G. Bíró, G. G. Barnaföldi, P. Lévai, L. Betev, J.F. Grosse-Oetringhaus) The Wigner ALICE Analysis Facility, ALICE Public Note: https://cds.cern.ch/record/2791181
18. H.Pettersen,… M. Varga Kőfaragó, G.G Barnaföldi, Helium radiography with a digital tracking calorimeter—a Monte Carlo study for secondary track rejection, Phys. Med. Biol. 66 035004, (2021) IF= 3.609
19. H.Pettersen,… M. Varga Kőfaragó, G.G Barnaföldi, Investigating particle track topology for range telescopes in particle radiography using convolutional neural networks, Acta Oncologica,. 2021 Nov;60(11):1413-1418. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2021.1949037. IF= 3.298
Other references connected to the WSCLAB:
20. I. Papp, L. Bravina, M. Csete, I.N. Mishustin, D. Molnár, A. Motornenko, L. M. Satarov, H. Stöcker, D.D. Strottman, A. Szenes, D. Vass, T.S. Biró, L.P. Csernai, N. Kroó (NAPLIFE Collaboration), Laser wake field collider, Phys.Lett.A 396 (2021) 127245 IF=2.654 DOI: 10.1016/j.physleta.2021.127245
21. Forgács-Dajka Emese, Dobos László, Ballai István: Time-dependent properties of sunspot groups – I. Lifetime and asymmetric evolution (arXiv: arXiv:2106.04917, DOI: 10.1051/0004–6361/202140731)
22. Kacskovics Balázs, Vasúth Mátyás Examination of orbital evolution and gravitational waves of OJ 287 in the 4PN order (arXiv: 2105.12496beadás alatt: CQG)
23. E. Dávid, D. El-Saig, Z. Lehóczky, G.G. Barnaföldi, Implementing Hastlayer support for Xilinx SoC Zynq FPGA family
