arXiv subjects

D. Reynolds

Publications and source records attributed to D. Reynolds.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2013

Acoustic scaling of anisotropic flow in shape-engineered events: implications for extraction of the specific shear viscosity of the quark gluon plasma

It is shown that the acoustic scaling patterns of anisotropic flow for different event shapes at a fixed collision centrality (shape-engineered events), provide robust constraints for the event-by-event fluctuations in the initial-state density distribution from ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. The empirical scaling parameters also provide a dual-path method for extracting the specific shear viscosity $(η/s)_\mathrm{QGP}$ of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) produced in these collisions. A calibration of these scaling parameters via detailed viscous hydrodynamical model calculations, gives $(η/s)_\mathrm{QGP}$ estimates for the plasma produced in collisions of Au+Au ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 0.2$ TeV) and Pb+Pb ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 2.76$ TeV). The estimates are insensitive to the initial-state geometry models considered.

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arXiv2013

Is anisotropic flow really acoustic?

The flow harmonics for charged hadrons ($v_{n}$) and their ratios $(v_n/v_2)_{n\geq 3}$, are studied for a broad range of transverse momenta ($p_T$) and centrality ($\text{cent}$) in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 2.76$ TeV. They indicate characteristic scaling patterns for viscous damping consistent with the dispersion relation for sound propagation in the plasma produced in the collisions. These scaling properties are not only a unique signature for anisotropic expansion modulated by the specific shear viscosity ($η/s$), they provide essential constraints for the relaxation time, a distinction between two of the leading models for initial eccentricity, as well as an extracted $\left< η/s \right>$ value which is insensitive to the initial geometry model. These constraints could be important for a more precise determination of $η/s$.

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arXiv2013

Beam energy dependence of the viscous damping of anisotropic flow

The flow harmonics $v_{2,3}$ for charged hadrons, are studied for a broad range of centrality selections and beam collision energies in Au+Au ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 7.7 - 200$ GeV) and Pb+Pb ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 2.76$ TeV) collisions. They validate the characteristic signature expected for the system size dependence of viscous damping at each collision energy studied. The extracted viscous coefficients, that encode the magnitude of the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density $η/s$, are observed to decrease to an apparent minimum as the collision energy is increased from $\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 7.7$ to approximately 62.4 GeV; thereafter, they show a slow increase with $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ up to 2.76 TeV. This pattern of viscous damping provides the first experimental constraint for $η/s$ in the temperature-baryon chemical potential ($T, μ_B$) plane, and could be an initial indication for decay trajectories which lie close to the critical end point in the phase diagram for nuclear matter.

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arXiv2012

Does quark number scaling breakdown in Pb+Pb collisions at Root_s = 2.76 TeV?

The anisotropy coefficient $v_2$, for unidentified and identified charged hadrons [pions ($π$), kaons ($K$) and protons ($p$)] measured in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 0.20$ TeV (RHIC) and Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 2.76$ TeV (LHC), are compared for several collision centralities ($\text{cent}$) and particle transverse momenta $p_T$. In contrast to the measurements for charged hadrons, the comparisons indicate a sizable increase of $v_2(p_T)$ for $π,K$ and $p$, as well as a blueshift of proton $v_2(p_T)$, from RHIC to LHC. When this blueshift is accounted for, the LHC data [for $π$, $K$, $p$] show excellent scaling of $v_2({KE}_T)$ with the number of valence quarks ($n_q$), for a broad range of transverse kinetic energies (${KE}_T$) and collision centralities. These observations suggest a larger mean sound speed $ $ for the plasma created in LHC collisions, and significant radial flow generation after its hadronization.

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arXiv2009

Energy loss for heavy quarks in relation to light partons; is radiative energy loss for heavy quarks anomalous?

The scaling properties of jet suppression measurements are compared for non-photonic electrons ($e^{\pm}$) and neutral pions ($π^0$) in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV. For a broad range of transverse momenta and collision centralities, the comparison is consistent with jet quenching dominated by radiative energy loss for both heavy and light partons. Less quenching is indicated for heavy quarks via $e^{\pm}$; this gives an independent estimate of the transport coefficient $\hat{q}$ that agrees with its magnitude obtained from quenching of light partons via $π^0$'s.

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