Baryon Stopping Signal in Net-Proton Fluctuations

Preliminary data from phase II of the Beam Energy Scan suggest a deviation of the fourth-to-second-order net proton number cumulant ratio from the trivial expectation based on an ideal hadron gas with global charge conservation. This may indicate a possible signal of new physics, such as a critical point. In this talk, we investigate other possible explanations for the data, such as the transition of stopped baryon charge from confined to liberated quarks in the early stages of collision as the onset of deconfinement occurs.