Ω− production as a probe of the equation of state of dense matter near the QCD phase transition in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The production of doubly strange hyperon Ξ^- and trebly strange hyperon Ω^- in relativistic Au+Au collisions at √sNN=4.2 GeV is explored based on a relativistic transport model that is interweaved with hadronic mean-field potentials for heavy-ion collisions. Upon comparison, it appears that relative to the double-strangeness observable Ξ^-, the yield and collective flows of the triple-strange Ω^- exhibit a higher sensitivity to the equation of state of dense matter. This characteristic makes the Ω^- an essential observable for studying the properties of densely formed matter in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.