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Steffen Bass

Publications and source records attributed to Steffen Bass.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Interplay of prompt and non-prompt photons in photon-triggered jet observables

Prompt photons are important yet challenging to observe in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, as they are produced in the early stages and traverse almost the entire QGP medium without interaction. Experimental analyses typically employ isolation cuts, in the hope to identify prompt photons. Most theoretical studies consider only events with actual prompt photons, assuming no contribution from isolated non-prompt photons to reduce computational cost. For the first time, we present a study that compares simulation results generated using inclusive (bremsstrahlung) and prompt-photon events with multiple experimental observables for both $p-p$ and $Pb-Pb$ collisions at $5.02$ TeV. Simulations are carried out using the multi-stage JETSCAPE framework tuned to describe the quenching of jets and hadrons. Isolated non-prompt photons are generated in hard photon bremsstrahlung, where the photon is radiated at a sufficient angle to the jet. Several photon triggered jet and jet substructure observables show significant contributions from inclusive photons, yielding an improvement in comparison with experimental data. Novel photon triggered jet substructure observables are also expected to show new structures, yet to be detected in experiment. This effort examines the significance of isolated non-prompt photons using parameters tuned for a simultaneous description of the leading hadron and jet spectrum, and thus provides an independent verification of the multistage evolution framework.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2025

Effects of hadronic reinteraction on jet fragmentation from small to large systems

We investigate the impact of the hadronic phase on jet quenching in nuclear collider experiments, an open question in heavy-ion physics. Previous studies in a simplified setup suggest that hadronic interactions could have significant effects, but a systematic analysis is needed. Using the X-SCAPE event generator with the SMASH afterburner, we study the role of hadronic rescattering on jet fragmentation hadrons. Applying this framework to $e^++e^-$ collisions, we demonstrate that even in small systems with limited particle production, hadronic interactions lead to measurable modifications in final-state hadronic and jet observables by comparing scenarios with and without afterburner rescattering.

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arXiv2025

Hadronization of Heavy Quarks

Heavy-flavor hadrons produced in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions are a sensitive probe for studying hadronization mechanisms of the quark-gluon-plasma. In this work, we survey how different transport models for the simulation of heavy-quark diffusion through a quark-gluon plasma in heavy-ion collisions implement hadronization and how this affects final-state observables. Utilizing the same input charm-quark distribution in all models at the hadronization transition, we find that the transverse-momentum dependence of the nuclear modification factor of various charm hadron species has significant sensitivity to the hadronization scheme. In addition, the charm-hadron elliptic flow exhibits a nontrivial dependence on the elliptic flow of the hadronizing partonic medium.

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arXiv2023

3D Multi-system Bayesian Calibration with Energy Conservation to Study Rapidity-dependent Dynamics of Nuclear Collisions

Considerable information about the early-stage dynamics of heavy-ion collisions is encoded in the rapidity dependence of measurements. To leverage the large amount of experimental data, we perform a systematic analysis using three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of multiple collision systems -- large and small, symmetric and asymmetric. Specifically, we perform fully 3D multi-stage hydrodynamic simulations initialized by a parameterized model for rapidity-dependent energy deposition, which we calibrate on the hadron multiplicity and anisotropic flow coefficients. We utilize Bayesian inference to constrain properties of the early- and late- time dynamics of the system, and highlight the impact of enforcing global energy conservation in our 3D model.

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arXiv2023

Hybrid Hadronization of Jet Showers from $e^++e^-$ to $A+A$ with JETSCAPE

In this talk we review jet production in a large variety of collision systems using the JETSCAPE event generator and Hybrid Hadronization. Hybrid Hadronization combines quark recombination, applicable when distances between partons in phase space are small, and string fragmentation appropriate for dilute parton systems. It can therefore smoothly describe the transition from very dilute parton systems like $e^++e^-$ to full $A+A$ collisions. We test this picture by using JETSCAPE to generate jets in various systems. Comparison to experimental data in $e^++e^-$ and $p+p$ collisions allows for a precise tuning of vacuum baseline parameters in JETSCAPE and Hybrid Hadronization. Proceeding to systems with jets embedded in a medium, we study in-medium hadronization for jet showers. We quantify the effects of an ambient medium, focusing in particular on the dependence on the collective flow and size of the medium. Our results clarify the effects we expect from in-medium hadronization of jets on observables like fragmentation functions, hadron chemistry and jet shape.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2023

A multistage framework for studying the evolution of jets and high-$p_T$ probes in small collision systems

Understanding the modification of jets and high-$p_T$ probes in small systems requires the integration of soft and hard physics. We present recent developments in extending the JETSCAPE framework to build an event generator, which includes correlations between soft and hard partons, to study jet observables in small systems. The multi-scale physics of the collision is separated into different stages. Hard scatterings are first sampled at binary collision positions provided by the Glauber geometry. They are then propagated backward in space-time following an initial-state shower to obtain the initiating partons' energies and momenta before the collision. These energies and momenta are then subtracted from the incoming colliding nucleons for soft-particle production, modeled by the 3D-Glauber + hydrodynamics + hadronic transport framework. This new hybrid approach (X-SCAPE) includes non-trivial correlations between jet and soft particle productions in small systems. We calibrate this framework with the final state hadrons' $p_T$-spectra from low to high $p_T$ in $p$-$p$, and and then compare with the spectra in $p$-$Pb$ collisions from the LHC. We also present results for additional observables such as the distributions of event activity as a function of the hardest jet $p_T$ in forward and mid-rapidity for both $p$-$p$ and $p$-$Pb$ collisions.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2020

Study of heavy-flavor jets in a transport approach

Measurements at the RHIC and the LHC have observed flavor dependence of single-hadron suppression, which reveal the role played by quark masses in the parton interactions with the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) medium. In this study, we explore the manifestation of quark mass effect and flavor dependence in jet observables. We approach this study using the LIDO transport model. Both elastic and medium-induced radiative processes are implemented for hard parton evolution in the medium. To guarantee energy-momentum conservation in the model for the study of full jet observables, we also include a component that mimics the energy-momentum transported by medium excitation. We first predict the heavy-jet (B-jet, D-jet) and inclusive-jet nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ in central nuclear collisions at both the RHIC and the LHC beam energies. We observe a flavor-dependent jet suppression as a function of jet transverse momentum, which can be tested by future precision measurements of heavy jets. We further investigate a novel observable that considers the angular correlation between two hard objects: a D-meson and a jet, which provides model constraints in addition to those imposed by inclusive measurements.

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arXiv2019

Fate of Heavy Quark Bound States inside Quark-Gluon Plasma

Transport equations have been applied successfully to describe the quarkonium evolution inside the quark-gluon plasma, which include both plasma screening effects and recombination. We demonstrate how the quarkonium transport equation is derived from QCD by using the open quantum system framework and effective field theory. Weak coupling and Markovian approximations used in the derivation are justified from a separation of scales. By solving the equations numerically, we study the Upsilon production in heavy ion collisions.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2019

Towards the determination of heavy-quark transport coefficients in quark-gluon plasma

Several transport models have been employed in recent years to analyze heavy-flavor meson spectra in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Heavy-quark transport coefficients extracted from these models with their default parameters vary, however, by up to a factor of 5 at high momenta. To investigate the origin of this large theoretical uncertainty, a systematic comparison of heavy-quark transport coefficients is carried out between various transport models. Within a common scheme devised for the nuclear modification factor of charm quarks in a brick medium of a quark-gluon plasma, the systematic uncertainty of the extracted drag coefficient among these models is shown to be reduced to a factor of 2, which can be viewed as the smallest intrinsic systematical error band achievable at present time. This indicates the importance of a realistic hydrodynamic evolution constrained by bulk hadron spectra and of heavy-quark hadronization for understanding the final heavy-flavor hadron spectra and extracting heavy-quark drag coefficient. The transverse transport coefficient is less constrained due to the influence of the underlying mechanism for heavy-quark medium interaction. Additional constraints on transport models such as energy loss fluctuation and transverse-momentum broadening can further reduce theoretical uncertainties in the extracted transport coefficients.

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arXiv2018

Quarkonium production in heavy ion collisions: coupled Boltzmann transport equations

We develop a set of coupled Boltzmann equations to describe the dynamical evolution of heavy quarks and quarkonia inside the quark-gluon plasma. The quarkonium dissociation and recombination terms are calculated from pNRQCD. Their interplay drives the system to a detailed balance. The heavy quark energy loss term is necessary for the system to reach kinematic thermalization. By coupling the transport equations with initial particles' momenta generated by PYTHIA and hydrodynamic medium evolutions, we can describe the $R_{AA}$ of $Υ$ family at both RHIC and LHC energies. The transverse momentum azimuthal anisotropy of $Υ$(1S) in $2.76$ TeV peripheral Pb-Pb collisions is also studied.

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arXiv2017

Traces of non-equilibrium dynamics in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The impact of non-equilibrium effects on the dynamics of heavy-ion collisions is investigated by comparing a non-equilibrium transport approach, the Parton-Hadron-String-Dynamics (PHSD), to a 2D+1 viscous hydrodynamical model, which is based on the assumption of local equilibrium and conservation laws. Starting the hydrodynamical model from the same non-equilibrium initial condition as in the PHSD, using an equivalent lQCD Equation-of-State (EoS), the same transport coefficients, i.e. shear viscosity $η$ and the bulk viscosity $ζ$ in the hydrodynamical model, we compare the time evolution of the system in terms of energy density, Fourier transformed energy density, spatial and momentum eccentricities and ellipticity in order to quantify the traces of non-equilibrium phenomena. In addition, we also investigate the role of initial pre-equilibrium flow on the hydrodynamical evolution and demonstrate its importance for final state observables. We find that due to non-equilibrium effects, the event-by-event transport calculations show large fluctuations in the collective properties, while ensemble averaged observables are close to the hydrodynamical results.

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arXiv2015

The iEBE-VISHNU code package for relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The iEBE-VISHNU code package performs event-by-event simulations for relativistic heavy-ion collisions using a hybrid approach based on (2+1)-dimensional viscous hydrodynamics coupled to a hadronic cascade model. We present the detailed model implementation, accompanied by some numerical code tests for the package. iEBE-VISHNU forms the core of a general theoretical framework for model-data comparisons through large scale Monte-Carlo simulations. A numerical interface between the hydrodynamically evolving medium and thermal photon radiation is also discussed. This interface is more generally designed for calculations of all kinds of rare probes that are coupled to the temperature and flow velocity evolution of the bulk medium, such as jet energy loss and heavy quark diffusion.

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arXiv2014

Elliptic and triangular flow of heavy flavor in heavy-ion collisions

We investigate the elliptic and the triangular flow of heavy mesons in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and the LHC. The dynamics of heavy quarks is coupled to the locally thermalized and fluid dynamically evolving quark-gluon plasma. The elliptic flow of $D$ mesons and the centrality dependence measured at the LHC is well reproduced for purely collisional and bremsstrahlung interactions. Due to the event-by-event fluctuating initial conditions from the EPOS2 model, the $D$ meson triangular flow is predicted to be nonzero at $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV and $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV. We study the centrality dependence and quantify the contributions stemming from flow of the light bulk event and the hadronization process. The flow coefficients as response to the initial eccentricities behave differently for heavy mesons than for light hadrons due to their inertia. Higher-order flow coefficients of heavy flavor become important in order to quantify the degree of thermalization.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

Heavy-flavor observables at RHIC and LHC

We investigate the charm-quark propagation in the QGP media produced in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and the LHC. Purely collisional and radiative processes lead to a significant suppression of final $D$-meson spectra at high transverse momentum and a finite flow of heavy quarks inside the fluid dynamical evolution of the light partons. The $D$-meson nuclear modification factor and the elliptic flow are studied at two collision energies. We further propose to measure the triangular flow of $D$ mesons, which we find to be nonzero in non-central collisions.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

Heavy Flavor Dynamics in QGP and Hadron Gas

We study heavy flavor evolution in the quark-gluon plasma matter and the subsequent hadron gas created in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. The motion of heavy quarks inside the QGP is described using our modified Langevin framework that incorporates both collisional and radiative energy loss mechanisms; and the scatterings between heavy mesons and the hadron gas are simulated with the UrQMD model. We find that the hadronic interaction further suppresses the $D$ meson $R_\mathrm{AA}$ at high $p_\mathrm{T}$ and enhances its $v_2$. And our calculations provide good descriptions of experimental data from both RHIC and LHC. In addition, we explore the heavy-flavor-tagged angular correlation functions and find them to be a potential candidate for distinguishing different energy loss mechanisms of heavy quarks inside the QGP.

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arXiv2014

Spectra and elliptic flow for identified hadrons in 2.76 A TeV Pb+Pb collisions

Using the VISHNU hybrid model that couples (2+1)-dimensional viscous hydrodynamics to a microscopic hadronic transport model, we calculate the multiplicity, p_T spectra and elliptic flow for pions, kaons, and protons in 2.76 A TeV Pb+Pb collisions, using MC-KLN initializations with smoothed initial conditions, obtained by averaging over a large number of events. The results from our calculations are compared to data from the ALICE collaboration, showing nice agreement over several centrality bins. Using the same inputs, we predict the p_T spectra and elliptic flow for phi mesons and explore its flow development in the strong and weak coupling limits through hydrodynamic calculations with different decoupling temperatures. In addition we study the influence of baryon and anti-baryon annihilation processes on common observables and demonstrate that by including annihilation processes below a switching temperature of 165 MeV, VISHNU provides a good description of the multiplicity and p_T spectra for pions, kaons and protons measured by PHENIX and ALICE at both RHIC and the LHC.

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arXiv2008

Hadronization via Recombination

The recombination model as a model for hadronization from a quark-gluon plasma has been recently revived since it has advantages in explaining several important features of the final state produced in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC, such as the constituent quark number scaling of the elliptic coefficient versus the transverse energy of identified hadrons, the bending shape of the $p_T$ spectrum of hadrons near 5 GeV/c, and the measured large value of baryon to meson ratio(of the order of unity) in the same $p_T$ range. We have developed a dynamic simulation model of heavy-ion collisions in which a quark-gluon plasma, starting from a certain initial condition, evolves hydrodynamically until it reaches the phase boundary, and then hadronizes by valence quark recombination. Rescattering after hadronization is described by UrQMD. We discuss some details of the model and report first, preliminary results.

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