Relativistic quantum molecular dynamics approach to nuclear collisions at ultrarelativistic energies

Abstract A Lorentz invariant extension of the well-known quantum molecular dynamics approach is employed to investigate the space-time evolution of heavy ion collision at Dubna, AGS and CERN energies ( E kin = 3A GeV …200 AGeV ). The model combines multiple twobody elastic and inelastic scattering plus soft many body potential interactions. The predicted multiplicity and rapidity distributions, transverse energy production and flow effects compare well with the experimental data at these energies. Predictions to the stopping power at the AGS-Booster are also presented. The RQMD results demonstrate the importance of nuclear stopping and secondary scattering up to the highest beam energies currently available. This is of particular importance for the recently observed enhancement of strangeness production compared to pp data, which was proposed as a signal for quark gluon plasma formation.