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Steffen A. Bass

Publications and source records attributed to Steffen A. Bass.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
arXiv2010

Shear Viscosity in a Perturbative Quark-Gluon-Plasma

Among the key features of hot and dense QCD matter produced in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC is its very low shear viscosity, indicative of the properties of a near-ideal fluid, and a large opacity demonstrated by jet energy loss measurements. In this work, we utilize a microscopic transport model based on the Boltzmann equation with quark and gluon degrees of freedom and cross sections calculated from perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics to simulate an ideal Quark-Gluon-Plasma in full thermal and chemical equilibrium. We then use the Kubo formalism to calculate the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio of the medium as a function of temperature and system composition. One of our key results is that the shear viscosity over entropy-density ratio $η/s$ becomes invariant to the chemical composition of the system when plotted as a function of energy-density instead of temperature.

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arXiv2010

Anomalous Transport Processes in Turbulent non-Abelian Plasmas

Turbulent color fields, which can arise in the early and late stages of relativistic heavy ion collisions, may contribute significantly to the transport processes in the matter created in these collisions. We review the theory of these anomalous transport processes and discuss their possible phenomenology in the glasma and quasistationary expanding quark-gluon plasma.

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arXiv2010

Transport Theoretical Description of Collisional Energy Loss in Infinite Quark-Gluon Matter

We study the time evolution of a high-momentum gluon or quark propagating through an infinite, thermalized, partonic medium utilizing a Boltzmann equation approach. We calculate the collisional energy loss of the parton, study its temperature and flavor dependence as well as the the momentum broadening incurred through multiple interactions. Our transport calculations agree well with analytic calculations of collisional energy-loss where available, but offer the unique opportunity to address the medium response as well in a consistent fashion.

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arXiv2009

The freeze-out properties of hyperons in a microscopic transport model

The excitation function of freeze-out time, average freeze-out temperature and freeze-out energy density of (multi-) strange baryons created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions is investigated in the framework of a microscopic transport model. We find that the Omega on average freezes out earlier than the nucleon, Xi and Lambda. The average freeze-out temperature and energy density as well as the spread between the different baryonicstates increase monotonously with increasing beam energy and should approach a universal value in the case of a hadronizing Quark-Gluon-Plasma.

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arXiv2009

Shear-Viscosity to Entropy Density Ratio of a Relativistic Hadron Gas

Ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) are thought to have produced a state of matter called the Quark-Gluon-Plasma, characterized by a very small shear viscosity to entropy density ratio $η/s$, near the lower bound predicted for that quantity by Anti-deSitter space/Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT) methods. As the produced matter expands and cools, it evolves through a phase described by a hadron gas with rapidly increasing $η/s$. We calculate $η/s$ as a function of temperature in this phase and find that its value poses a challenge for viscous relativistic hydrodynamics, which requires small values of $η/s$ throughout the entire evolution of the reaction in order to successfully describe the collective flow observables at RHIC. We show that the inclusion of non-unit fugacities will reduce $η/s$ in the hadronic phase, yet not sufficiently to be compatible with viscous hydrodynamics. We therefore conclude that the origin of the low viscosity matter at RHIC must be in the partonic phase of the reaction.

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arXiv2009

Systematic Comparison of Jet Energy-Loss Schemes in a realistic hydrodynamic medium

We perform a systematic comparison of three different jet energy-loss approaches. These include the Armesto-Salgado-Wiedemann scheme based on the approach of Baier-Dokshitzer-Mueller-Peigne-Schiff and Zakharov (BDMPS-Z/ASW), the Higher Twist approach (HT) and a scheme based on the approach of Arnold-Moore-Yaffe (AMY). In this comparison, an identical medium evolution will be utilized for all three approaches: not only does this entail the use of the same realistic three-dimensional relativistic fluid dynamics (RFD) simulation, but also includes the use of identical initial parton-distribution functions and final fragmentation functions. We are, thus, in a unique position, not only to isolate fundamental differences between the various approaches, but also to make rigorous calculations for different experimental measurements using "state of the art" components. All three approaches are reduced to a version which contains only one free tunable parameter, this is then related to the well known transport parameter $\hat{q}$. We find that the parameters of all three calculations can be adjusted to provide a good description of inclusive data on $R_{AA}$ versus transverse momentum. However, we do observe slight differences in their predictions for the centrality and azimuthal angular dependence of $R_{AA}$ vs. $p_T$. We also note that the value of the transport coefficient $\hat{q}$ in the three approaches to describe the data differs significantly.

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arXiv2008

UrQMD-2.3 - Changes and Comparisons

The new version of the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model (UrQMD-2.3) is presented. The Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model (UrQMD) is a microscopic many body approach to pp, pA and AA interactions at relativistic energies. The major updates and changes are explained and a comparison to the previous version (UrQMD-1.3p1) in the context of the available data is performed. The plots and numerical data tables for hadron (i.e. $π$, K, p, $\bar{p}$, $Λ$, $\barΛ$, $Ξ$, $\barΞ$, $Ω$, $\barΩ$) multiplicities, and mean transverse mass momenta, $ -m_0$ excitation functions, transverse mass spectra and rapidity distributions in pp and central Au+Au/Pb+Pb reactions from $E_{\rm lab}=2A $GeV to $\sqrt{s}_{\rm NN}=200$ GeV are provided in this paper. The source code of UrQMD-2.3 is available at http://www.th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~urqmd

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arXiv2008

Radiative jet energy loss in a three-dimensional hydrodynamical medium and high $p_T$ azimuthal asymmetry of $π_0$ suppression at mid and forward rapidity at RHIC

The nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ for $π_0$ production in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200$ AGeV is calculated, and studied at high transverse momenta $p_T$. The soft thermalized nuclear medium is described within the framework of relativistic ideal three-dimensional hydrodynamics. The energy loss of partonic jets is evaluated in the context of gluon bremsstrahlung in the thermalized partonic matter. We provide a systematic analysis of the azimuthal asymmetry of $π_0$ suppression at high $p_T$ in central and non-central collisions, at mid and forward rapidity. The determination of $R_{AA}$ as a function of $p_T$, at different azimuthal angles, and different rapidities makes for a stringent test of our theoretical understanding of jet energy loss over a variety of in-medium path lengths, temperatures and initial partonic jet energies. This lays the groundwork for a precise tomography of the nuclear medium.

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arXiv2007

Longitudinal Broadening of Quenched Jets in Turbulent Color Fields

The near-side distribution of particles at intermediate transverse momentum, associated with a high momentum trigger hadron produced in a high energy heavy-ion collision, is broadened in rapidity compared with the jet cone. This broadened distribution is thought to contain the energy lost by the progenitor parton of the trigger hadron. We show that the broadening can be explained as the final-state deflection of the gluons radiated from the hard parton inside the medium by soft, transversely oriented, turbulent color fields that arise in the presence of plasma instabilities. The magnitude of the effect is found to grow with medium size and density and diminish with increasing energy of the associated hadron.

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arXiv2007

Jet-quenching in a 3D hydrodynamic medium

We study the radiative energy loss of hard partons in a soft medium in the multiple soft scattering approximation. The soft medium is described by a 3D hydrodynamical model and we treat the averaging over all possible parton paths through the medium without approximation. While the nuclear suppression factor $R_{AA}$ does not reflect the high quality of the medium description (except in a reduced systematic uncertainty in extracting the quenching power of the medium), the hydrodynamical model also allows to study different centralities and in particular the angular variation of $R_{AA}$ with respect to the reaction plane, allowing for a controlled variation of the in-medium path-length. We study the angular dependence of $R_{AA}$ for different centralities, discuss the influence of hydrodynamical expansion and flow and comment on the comparison with preliminary data.

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arXiv2006

Anomalous Transport Processes in Anisotropically Expanding Quark-Gluon Plasmas

We derive an expression for the anomalous viscosity in an anisotropically expanding quark-gluon-plasma, which arises from interactions of thermal partons with dynamically generated color fields. The anomalous viscosity dominates over the collisional viscosity for large velocity gradients or weak coupling. This effect may provide an explanation for the apparent ``nearly perfect'' liquidity of the matter produced in nuclear collisions at RHIC without the assumption that it is a strongly coupled state.

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arXiv2006

SQM 2006: Theory Summary and Perspectives

In this write-up of my SQM 2006 Theory Summary talk I focus on a selection of key contributions which I consider to have a large impact on the current status of the field of strangeness physics or which may have the potential to significantly advance strangeness -- or in general flavor physics -- in the near future.

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arXiv2006

Space-time evolution of bulk QCD matter

We introduce a combined fully three-dimensional macroscopic/microscopic transport approach employing relativistic 3D-hydrodynamics for the early, dense, deconfined stage of the reaction and a microscopic non-equilibrium model for the later hadronic stage where the equilibrium assumptions are not valid anymore. Within this approach we study the dynamics of hot, bulk QCD matter, which is being created in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions at RHIC. Our approach is capable of self-consistently calculating the freezeout of the hadronic system, while accounting for the collective flow on the hadronization hypersurface generated by the QGP expansion. In particular, we perform a detailed analysis of the reaction dynamics, hadronic freezeout, and transverse flow.

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arXiv2005

3-D hydro + cascade model at RHIC

We present a 3-D hydro + cascade model in which viscosity and a realistic freezeout process for the hadronic phase are taken into account. We compare our results to experimental data and discuss the finite state interaction effects on physical observables.

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arXiv2005

Dynamics of the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal Effect in Au+Au Collisions at 200 AGeV

We study the role played by the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Midgal (LPM) effect in relativistic collisions of hadrons and heavy nuclei, within a parton cascade model. We find that the LPM effect strongly affects the gluon multiplication due to radiation and considerably alters the space-time evolution of the dynamics of the collision. It ensures a multiplicity distribution of hadrons in aggreement with the experimental proton-proton data. We study the production of single photons in relativistic heavy ion collisions and find that the inclusion of LPM suppression leads to a reduction in the single photon yield at small and intermediate transverse momenta. The parton cascade calculation of the single photon yield including the LPM effect is shown to be in good agreement with the recent PHENIX data taken at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider.

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arXiv2004

Intensity interferometry of direct photons emitted in Au+Au collisions

We calculate the two-body correlation function of direct photons produced in Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Our calculation includes contributions from the early pre-equilibrium phase in which photons are produced via hard parton scatterings as well as radiation of photons from a thermalized Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) and the subsequent expanding hadron gas. We find that high energy photon intensity interferometry provides a faithful probe of the details of the space-time evolution and of the early reaction stages of the system.

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arXiv2004

Strangeness Production at RHIC in the Perturbative Regim

We investigate strange quark production in Au-Au collisions at RHIC in the framework of the Parton Cascade Model(PCM). The yields of (anti-) strange quarks for three production scenarios -- primary-primary scattering, full scattering, and full production -- are compared to a proton-proton baseline. Enhancement of strange quark yields in central Au-Au collisions compared to scaled p-p collisions increases with the number of secondary interactions. The centrality dependence of strangeness production for the three production scenarios is studied as well. For all production mechanisms, the strangeness yield increases with $(N_{\rm part})^{4/3}$. The perturbative QCD regime described by the PCM is able to account for up to 50% of the observed strangeness at RHIC.

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