Cumulants of net-strangeness multiplicity distributions at energies available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

The higher-order cumulants of net-proton number, net-charge, and net-strangeness multiplicity distributions are widely studied to search for the quantum-chromodynamics critical point and extract the chemical freezeout parameters in heavy-ion collisions. In this context, the event-by-event fluctuations of the net-strangeness multiplicity distributions play important roles in extracting the chemical freeze-out parameter in the strangeness sector. Due to having difficulties in detecting all strange hadrons event by event, the kaon (K) and lambda (A) particles serve as a proxy for the strangeness-related observables in heavy-ion collisions. We have studied the net-K, net-A, and net-(K + A) multiplicity distributions and calculated their different order of cumulants using the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics model and hadron resonance gas calculation. To adequately account for the net-strangeness cumulants, it has been found that the inclusion of resonance decay contributions in K and A is necessary.

Automated summary

The higher-order cumulants of net-proton number, net-charge, and net-strangeness multiplicity distributions are widely studied in heavy-ion collisions to search for the quantum-chromodynamics critical point and extract the chemical freezeout parameters. The event-by-event fluctuations of the net-strangeness multiplicity distributions are crucial in determining the chemical freeze-out parameter in the strangeness sector. The study focuses on the net-K, net-A, and net-(K + A) multiplicity distributions and their different order of cumulants, including resonance decay contributions.