New UPC results at the LHC - modeling the proton and neutron emission in photon-induced nuclear processes (2508.20791v1)

Abstract: The ultrarelativistic collisions of heavy ions provide rich spectrum of possibilities to discuss the response of the nucleus to photons. Newly published neutron and proton multiplicities measured in the ALICE experiment in ultraperipheral collisions allow investigating the influence of the electromagnetic fields on colliding nuclei for the $^{208}$Pb+$^{208}$Pb at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=5.02~TeV. The theoretical predictions are done within hybrid model including equivalent photon approximations (EPA), GiBUU modeling of pre-equilibrium processes and generation of the exited nuclear remnants, which decay is modeled by statistical approach: GEM2 or GEMINI++. The cross-sections of the mass-charge distributions of nuclear remnants as well as the neutron, proton and other charged particle multiplicities are estimated. We concentrate on production of protons and isotopes coming from the electromagnetic dissociation. Special attention is devoted to emission of a single proton. The cross section for $1p$ emission is very close to maximal available one based on reactions of photon with individual nucleons. Our pre-equilibrium processes explain simultaneously the tail of neutron energy distributions in the nuclear rest frame observed in $\gamma + A$ collisions.