Transverse momentum spectra of J/ψ and ψ′ mesons from quark gluon plasma hadronization in nuclear collisions

Recent results on transverse mass spectra of J/ψ and ψ′ mesons in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 A GeV are considered. It is shown that those results support a hypothesis of statistical production of charmonia at hadronization and suggest the early thermal freeze-out of J/ψ and ψ′ mesons. Based on this approach the collective transverse velocity of hadronizing quark gluon plasma is estimated to be 〈vHT〉≈0.2. Predictions for transverse mass spectra of hidden and open charm mesons at SPS and RHIC are discussed.