Dynamics of chemical equilibrium of hadronic matter close to Tc

Quick chemical equilibration times of hadrons (specifically, pp, KK, ΛΛ, and ΩΩ pairs) within a hadron gas are explained dynamically using Hagedorn states, which drive particles into equilibrium close to the critical temperature. Within this scheme, we use master equations and derive various analytical estimates for the chemical equilibration times. We compare our model to recent lattice results and find that for both Tc=176 MeV and Tc=196 MeV, the hadrons can reach chemical equilibrium almost immediately, well before the chemical freeze-out temperatures found in thermal fits for a hadron gas without Hagedorn states. Furthermore, the ratios p/π, K/π, Λ/π, and Ω/π match experimental values well in our dynamical scenario.