Formation time of hadrons and density of matter produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Densities of interacting hadronic matter produced in Oxygen-Lead and Sulphur-Lead collisions at 200 GeV/nucleon are estimated as a function of the formation time of hadrons. Uncertainties in our knowledge of the critical temperature Tc and of the formation time of hadrons τ0 permit at present three scenarios: an optimistic one (QGP has already been produced in collisions of Oxygen and Sulphur with heavy ions and will be copiously in Lead collisions), a pessimistic one (QGP cannot be produced at 200 GeV/nucleon) and an intermediate one (QGP has not been produced in Oxygen and Sulphur Interactions with heavy ions and will be at best produced only marginally in Pb-collisions). The last option is found to be the most probable. (author)