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arXiv · 0711.1415

Shock waves from heavy-quark mesons in AdS/CFT

Steven S. Gubser·Silviu S. Pufu·Amos Yarom
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Abstract

We calculate the far-field stress-energy tensor of a quark gluon plasma due to a heavy-quark meson moving through it, using a semi-classical description in string theory of the meson as a string hanging into anti-de Sitter space. We find that these mesons create a shock wave but no diffusion wake, in contrast to single heavy quarks described via a trailing string, where the diffusion wake is strong. If thermal QCD responds similarly to heavy quarks and heavy quarkonia, the presence or suppression of the diffusion wake constitutes a prediction which can in principle be checked in heavy-ion collisions.

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Steven S. Gubser, Silviu S. Pufu, Amos Yarom. 2007-11-09. Shock waves from heavy-quark mesons in AdS/CFT. https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708%2F2008%2F07%2F108

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