Abstract
The thermal and coalescence models both describe well yields of light nuclei produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at LHC. We propose to measure the yield of $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
and compare it to that of $$^4\mathrm{He}$$
4
He
to falsify one of the models. Since the masses of $$^4\mathrm{He}$$
4
He
and $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
are almost equal, the yield of $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
is about 5 times bigger than that of $$^4\mathrm{He}$$
4
He
in the thermal model because of different numbers of spin states of the two nuclides. Their internal structures are, however, very different: the alpha particle is well bound and compact while $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
is weakly bound and loose. Consequently, the ratio of yields of $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
to $$^4\mathrm{He}$$
4
He
is significantly smaller in the coalescence model and it strongly depends on the collision centrality. Since the nuclide $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
is unstable and it decays into $$^3\mathrm{He}$$
3
He
and p, the yield of $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
can be experimentally obtained through a measurement of the $$p\!-\!^3\mathrm{He}$$
p
-
3
He
correlation function. The function carries information not only about the yield of $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
but also about the source of $$^3\mathrm{He}$$
3
He
and allows one to determine through a source-size measurement whether of $$^3\mathrm{He}$$
3
He
is directly emitted from the fireball or it is formed afterwards. We compute the correlation function taking into account the s-wave scattering and Coulomb repulsion together with the resonance interaction responsible for the $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
nuclide. We discuss how to infer information about an origin of $$^3\mathrm{He}$$
3
He
from the correlation function, and finally a method to obtain the yield of $$^4\mathrm{Li}$$
4
Li
is proposed.
Spectra and flow of light nuclei in relativistic heavy ion collisions at energies available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and at the CERN Large Hadron Collider
