We discuss a new approach to ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions ba
sed on classical hadrodynamics for extended nucleons, corresponding to
nucleons of finite size interacting with massive meson fields. This n
ew theory provides a natural covariant microscopic approach that inclu
des automatically spacetime nonlocality and retardation, nonequilibriu
m phenomena, interactions among all nucleons; and particle production.
In the current version of our theory, we consider N extended unexcite
d nucleons interacting with massive neutral scalar (sigma) and neutral
vector (omega) meson fields. The resulting classical relativistic man
y-body equations of motion are solved numerically without further appr
oximation for soft nucleon-nucleon collisions at P(lab) = 14.6, 30, 60
, 100 and 200 GeV/c to yield the transverse momentum imparted to the n
ucleons. For the future development of the theory, the isovector pseud
oscalar (pi(+), pi(-), pi(0)), isovector scalar (delta(+), delta(-), d
elta(0)), isovector vector (rho(+), rho(-), rho(0)) and neutral pseudo
scalar (eta) meson fields that are known to be important from nucleon-
nucleon scattering experiments should be incorporated. In addition, th
e effects of quantum uncertainty on the equations of motion should be
included by use of techniques analogous to those used by Moniz and Sha
rp for nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics.