Predicting quadrupole deformation via anisotropic flow and transverse momentum spectra in isotopic {^128-135 \, ₅₄Xe} collisions at LHC

Abstract In the hydrodynamical description of heavy-ion collisions, the elliptic flow v₂ v 2 and triangular flow v₃ v 3 are sensitive to the quadrupole deformation ₂ β 2 of the colliding nuclei. We produce v₂ v 2 and v₃ v 3 ratios qualitatively and quantitatively in most-central Xe–Xe collisions at 5. 44 TeV. By employing HYDJET++ model, we study the sensitivity of anisotropic flow coefficients and mean transverse momentum to the quadrupole deformation and system-size in isotopic Xe–Xe collisions. Flow observables strongly depend on the strength of nucleon–nucleon scattering occurring in even-A and odd-A nuclei. Flow for odd-A nuclei is suppressed in comparison to flow in even-A collisions. There exists a linear inter-dependence between pₓ p T integrated anisotropic flow and nuclear deformation. Mean transverse momentum signifies the fireball temperature in body–body and tip–tip collisions. There exists a negative linear correlation of pₓ ⟨ p T ⟩ with collision system-size and a positive correlation with nuclear deformation. Flow measurements in high-energy, heavy-ion collisions using isotopic collision systems, offer a new precision tool to study nuclear structure physics. Observation of nuclear structure properties like nuclear deformation in a heavy-ion collision such as this would be very interesting.