Charm generation in AA collisions and quark-gluon plasma

The charmed quark generation rates in quark-gluon plasma which is assumed to be produced in central collisions of ultrarelativistic nuclei are calculated. The calculation is carried out in Anishetti et al.'s fireball model and in Bjorken's two-dimensional hydrodynamical model. The inclusive spectra are calculated, and the corresponding charmed-particle-production cross sections are estimated. Signatures of the plasma mechanism of charm generation in experiments with high-energy cosmic-ray muons are discussed