Antiproton-to-Proton Ratios for ALICE Heavy-Ion Collisions

Assuming that the final state of hadronization takes place along the freezeout line, which is defined by a constant entropy density, the antiproton-to-proton ratios produced in heavy-ion collisions are studied in framework of the hadron resonance gas (HRG) model. A phase transition from quark–gluon plasma to hadrons, a hadronization, has been conjectured in order to allow modifications in the phase space volume and thus in single–particle distribution function. Implementing both modifications in the grand–canonical partition function and taking into account the experimental acceptance in heavy-ion collisions, the antiproton-to-proton ratios over center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}$ ranging from AGS to RHIC are very well reproduced by the HRG model. Comparing with the same particle ratios in $pp$ collisions results in a gradually narrowing discrepancy with increasing $\sqrt{s}$. At LHC energy, the ALICE antiproton-to-proton ratios in $pp$ collisions turn to be very well described by HRG model as well. It is likely that the ALICE heavy-ion program will produce the same antiproton-to-proton ratios as the $pp$ program. Furthermore, the ratio gets very close to unity indicating that the matter-antimatter asymmetry nearly vanishes. The chemical potential calculated at this energy strengthens the assumption of almost fully matter-antimatter symmetry at LHC energy.