Speaker
Description
Over fifty years after the first observation of unexpectedly large transverse Λ polarization, the underlying mechanism remains a long-standing puzzle seen across many collision systems, from e⁺e⁻ to proton–nucleus collisions. Only in heavy-ion collisions has this phenomenon been understood in terms of strong vorticity in the Quark Gluon Plasma. In this talk, we present an alternative interpretation that does not rely on vorticity, yet can naturally produce the global Λ polarization phenomena. Using realistic event simulations, we find qualitative trends consistent with the energy dependence observed by the STAR Collaboration. These findings may point to a more universal origin of Λ polarization across different systems, offering new perspectives on the link between spin phenomena and the emergent fluid-like properties of QCD matter.