Search

We construct three simple scenarios of the time dependence of density of intermediate stage gluons in nuclear collisions in the CERN SPS energy range. Gluons with energy of about 0.6–1.0 GeV are assumed to be produced in nucleon-nucleon collisions in a Glauber type model. The rate of gluon production is given by the parameter ng/nn equal to the average number of gluons produced per nucleon-nucleon collision. The value of this parameter determines the behaviour of the gas of gluons. The number of gluons increases due to gluon branching and processes like g+g → g+g+g and decreases due to the hadronization. Gluons are assumed to be able to dissociate J/ψ in g+J/ψ collisions, the dissociation cross-section σgγ is taken as a free parameter. In the first scenario, the energy density of the gas of gluons never reaches the critical energy density ec ≈ 0.7 GeV/fm3 and gluons rapidly hadronize. In the second scenario, the critical energy density is reached but the system of gluons is unable to reach thermalization. In the third scenario gluons reach thermalization and the thermalized system suppresses J/ψ by the Matsui-Satz mechanism. The third scenario under the assumption of a small value of σgψ is able to describe qualitatively the data on J/ψ suppression in Pb−Pb interactions obtained by the NA50 Collaboration. Other scenarios have problems with getting the rather abrupt onset of J/ψ suppression.