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Modifications of Heavy-Flavor Spectra in $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=62.4~{\rm GeV}$ Au-Au Collisions

We calculate open heavy-flavor (HF) production in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$=62.4 GeV utilizing a nonperturbative transport approach as previously applied in nuclear collisions at top RHIC and LHC energies. The effects of hot QCD matter are treated in a strong-coupling framework, by implementing heavy-quark diffusion, hadronization and heavy-flavor meson diffusion within a hydrodynamic background evolution. Since in our approach the heavy-flavor coupling to the medium is strongest in the pseudo-critical region, it is of interest to test its consequences at lower collision energies where the sensitivity to this region should be enhanced relative to the hotter (early) fireball temperatures reached at top RHIC and LHC energies. We find that the suppression and flow pattern of the non-photonic electrons from heavy-flavor decays at 62.4 GeV emerges from an intricate interplay of thermalization and initial-state effects, in particular a Cronin enhancement which is known to become more pronounced toward lower collision energies.