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M. Nardi

Publications and source records attributed to M. Nardi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Heavy-quark Langevin dynamics and single-electron spectra in nucleus-nucleus collision

The stochastic dynamics of heavy quarks in the fireball produced in heavy-ion collisions is followed through numerical simulations based on the Langevin equation. The modification of the final p_T spectra (R_AA) of c and b quarks, hadrons and single-electrons with respect to pp collisions is studied. The transport coefficients are evaluated treating separately the contribution of soft and hard collisions. The initial heavy-quark spectra are generated according to NLO-pQCD, accounting for nuclear effects through recent nPDFs. The evolution of the medium is obtained from the output of two hydro-codes (ideal and viscous). The heavy-quark fragmentation into hadrons and their final semileptonic decays are implemented according to up to date experimental data. A comparison with RHIC data for non-photonic electron spectra is given.

hep-ph↗

HTL approach to the viscosity of quark plasma

The quark viscosity in the quark gluon plasma is evaluated in HTL approximation. The different contributions to the viscosity arising from the various components of the quark spectral function are discussed. The calculation is extended to finite values of the chemical potential.

hep-ph↗

Shear Viscosity of Quark Matter

We consider the shear viscosity of a system of quarks and its ratio to the entropy density above the critical temperature for deconfinement. Both quantities are derived and computed for different modeling of the quark self-energy, also allowing for a temperature dependence of the effective mass and width. The behaviour of the viscosity and the entropy density is argued in terms of the strength of the coupling and of the main characteristics of the quark self-energy. A comparison with existing results is also discussed.

hep-ph↗

Hadron multiplicities at the LHC

We present the predictions for hadron multiplicities in pp, pA and AA collisions at the LHC based on our approach to the Color Glass Condensate.

hep-ph↗

Thermal Dileptons at LHC

We predict dilepton invariant-mass spectra for central 5.5 ATeV Pb-Pb collisions at LHC. Hadronic emission in the low-mass region is calculated using in-medium spectral functions of light vector mesons within hadronic many-body theory. In the intermediate-mass region thermal radiation from the Quark-Gluon Plasma, evaluated perturbatively with hard-thermal loop corrections, takes over. An important source over the entire mass range are decays of correlated open-charm hadrons, rendering the nuclear modification of charm and bottom spectra a critical ingredient.

hep-ph↗

Mesonic correlation functions at finite temperature and density in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with a Polyakov loop

We investigate the properties of scalar and pseudo-scalar mesons at finite temperature and quark chemical potential in the framework of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model coupled to the Polyakov loop (PNJL model) with the aim of taking into account features of both chiral symmetry breaking and deconfinement. The mesonic correlators are obtained by solving the Schwinger-Dyson equation in the RPA approximation with the Hartree (mean field) quark propagator at finite temperature and density. In the phase of broken chiral symmetry a narrower width for the sigma meson is obtained with respect to the NJL case; on the other hand, the pion still behaves as a Goldstone boson. When chiral symmetry is restored, the pion and sigma spectral functions tend to merge. The Mott temperature for the pion is also computed.

hep-ph↗

Signals of non-extensive statistical mechanics in high-energy nuclear collisions

Starting from the presence of non-ideal plasma effects due to strongly coupled plasma in the early stage of relativistic heavy-ion collisions, we investigate, from a phenomenological point of view, the relevance of non-conventional statistical mechanics effects on the rapidity spectra of net proton yield at AGS, SPS and RHIC. We show that the broad rapidity shape measured at RHIC can be very well reproduced in the framework of a non-linear relativistic Fokker-Planck equation which incorporates non-extensive statistics and anomalous diffusion.

hep-ph↗

Role of 2p-2h MEC excitations in superscaling

Following recent studies of inclusive electron scattering from nuclei at high energies which focused on two-nucleon emission mediated by meson-exchange currents, in this work the superscaling behavior of such contributions is investigated. Comparisons are made with existing data below the quasielastic peak where at high momentum transfers scaling of the second kind is known to be excellent and scaling of the first kind is good, in the proximity of the peak where both 1p-1h and 2p-2h contributions come into play, and above the peak where inelasticity becomes important and one finds scaling violations of the two kinds.

nucl-th↗

QCD Saturation and Deuteron-Nucleus Collisions

We make quantitative predictions for the rapidity and centrality dependencies of hadron multiplicities in dA collisions at RHIC basing on the ideas of parton saturation in the Color Glass Condensate.

hep-ph↗

Hard probes in heavy ion collisions at the LHC: heavy flavour physics

We present the results from the heavy quarks and quarkonia working group. This report gives benchmark heavy quark and quarkonium cross sections for $pp$ and $pA$ collisions at the LHC against which the $AA$ rates can be compared in the study of the quark-gluon plasma. We also provide an assessment of the theoretical uncertainties in these benchmarks. We then discuss some of the cold matter effects on quarkonia production, including nuclear absorption, scattering by produced hadrons, and energy loss in the medium. Hot matter effects that could reduce the observed quarkonium rates such as color screening and thermal activation are then discussed. Possible quarkonium enhancement through coalescence of uncorrelated heavy quarks and antiquarks is also described. Finally, we discuss the capabilities of the LHC detectors to measure heavy quarks and quarkonia as well as the Monte Carlo generators used in the data analysis.

hep-ph↗

The 2p-2h electromagnetic response in the quasielastic peak and beyond

The contribution to the nuclear transverse response function R_T arising from two particle-two hole (2p-2h) states excited through the action of electromagnetic meson exchange currents (MEC) is computed in a fully relativistic framework. The MEC considered are those carried by the pion and by Delta degrees of freedom, the latter being viewed as a virtual nucleonic resonance. The calculation is performed in the relativistic Fermi gas model in which Lorentz covariance can be maintained. All 2p-2h many-body diagrams containing two pionic lines that contribute to R_T are taken into account and the relative impact of the various components of the MEC on R_T is addressed. The non-relativistic limit of the MEC contributions is also discussed and compared with the relativistic results to explore the role played by relativity in obtaining the 2p-2h nuclear response.

nucl-th↗

Baryonic masses based on the NJL model

We employ the Nambu Jona--Lasinio model to determine the vacuum pressure on the quarks in a baryon and hence their density inside. Then we estimate the baryonic masses by implementing the local density approximation for the mean field quark energies obtained in a uniform and isotropic system. We obtain a fair agreement with the experimental masses.

nucl-th↗

The onset of classical QCD dynamics in relativistic heavy ion collisions

The experimental results on hadron production obtained recently at RHIC offer a new prospective on the energy dependence of the nuclear collision dynamics. In particular, it is possible that parton saturation -- the phenomenon likely providing initial conditions for the multi--particle production at RHIC energies -- may have started to set in central heavy ion collisions already around the highest SPS energy. We examine this scenario, and make predictions based on high density QCD for the forthcoming 22 GeV run at RHIC.

hep-ph↗

Hadron production in nuclear collisions at RHIC and high density QCD

We analyze the first results on charged particle multiplicity at RHIC in the conventional eikonal approach and in the framework of high density QCD. We extract the fraction $F$ of the hadron multiplicity originating from ``hard'' (i.e. proportional to the number of binary collisions) processes; we find a strong growth of this fraction with energy: $F(\sqrt{s}=56 {\rm GeV}) \simeq 22%$, while $F(\sqrt{s}=130 {\rm GeV}) \simeq 37 %$. This indicates a rapid increase in the density of the produced particles. We outline the predictions of high density QCD for the centrality, energy, and atomic number dependence of hadron production. Surprisingly, the predictions of the conventional eikonal approach and of high density QCD for centrality dependence of hadron multiplicity at $\sqrt{s}=130 {\rm GeV}$ appear very similar.

nucl-th↗

String Clustering and J/Psi Suppression in Nuclear Collisions

We study the clustering of colour strings in the transverse plane of nucleus-nucleus collisions and argue that deconfinement sets in when the string density within a cluster reaches a critical value. We show that this implies a minimal cluster size at the onset of deconfinement, which in turn results in discontinuous behaviour for J/Psi suppression.

hep-ph↗

Anomalous J/Psi suppression and the nature of deconfinement

We study the characteristic features of J/Psi suppression by deconfinement. A first order phase transition leads to an essentially discontinuous onset of anomalous J/Psi suppression. The different energy densities required for the dissociation of different charmonium states result in a two-step suppression pattern, in which first the J/Psi's from chi decays are suppressed and subsequently the directly produced J/Psi states. Combining both features leads to a unique form of J/Psi suppression in a deconfining medium.

hep-ph↗

The Transverse Momentum Dependence of Anomalous $J/ψ$ Suppression

In proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions up to central $S-U$ interactions, the $P_T$-dependence of $J/ψ$ production is determined by initial state parton scattering and pre-resonance nuclear absorption (``normal" $J/ψ$ suppression). The ``anomalous" $J/ψ$ suppression in $Pb-Pb$ collisions must reduce the normal $P_T$ broadening, since it occurs mainly in the central part of the interaction region, where also initial state parton scattering and nuclear absorption are strongest. We thus expect for $< P_T^2 >$ in $Pb-Pb$ collisions a turn-over and decrease with increasing $E_T$.

hep-ph↗

A Quantitative Analysis of Charmonium Suppression in Nuclear Collisions

Data from J/psi and psi' production in p-A collisions are used to determine the cross section for absorption of pre-resonance charmonium in nuclear matter. The J/psi suppression in O-Cu, O-U and S-U collisions is fully reproduced by the corresponding nuclear absorption, while Pb-Pb collisions show an additional suppression increasing with centrality. We study the onset of this change in terms of hadronic comover interactions and conclude that so far no conventional hadronic description can consistently account for all data. Deconfinement, starting at a critical point determined by central S-U collisions, is in accord with the observed suppression pattern.

hep-ph↗