arXiv subjects

Thierry Gousset

Publications and source records attributed to Thierry Gousset.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

General Lindblad equation for quarkonium evolution in a quark-gluon plasma

Accurate modelling and understanding of quarkonium production in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions requires a formalism that preserves the quantum properties of microscopic $\bar{Q}Q$ systems while treating the interaction of such pairs with the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). The open quantum system approach has recently emerged as one of the most fruitful schemes to meet such requirements. However, the quantum master equations obtained so far in this context are derived assuming a strict ordering between the QGP temperature $T$ and the $\bar{Q}Q$ energy gaps ($\Delta E$) of the quarkonia bound states. This limits their predictive power since, as the QGP expands and cools down, the system traverse all regimes between the quantum Brownian motion (QBM) regime for $T\gtrsim \Delta E$ to the quantum optical (QO) regime for $\Delta E\gtrsim T$. In this paper, we derive and present a more general non-abelian quantum master equation of the Lindblad type, which does not suffer from these limitations and thus allows to faithfully describe the quantum evolution of the $Q\bar{Q}$ pairs during the whole QGP-evolution. We also provide some illustration of the key quantities governing this equation.

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arXiv2025

Quantum vs. semiclassical description of in-QGP quarkonia in the quantum Brownian regime

In this work, we explore the range of validity of the semiclassical approximation of a quantum master equation designed to describe the $c\bar{c}$ dynamics in a quark gluon plasma at various temperatures, in the quantum Brownian regime. We perform a comparative study of various properties, e.g. the charmonia yield, of the Wigner density obtained with the Lindblad equation and with the associated semiclassical Fokker-Planck equation. The semiclassical description is found to reproduce with a remarkable accuracy the results obtained through the full quantum description. We show that, to a large extent, this can be attributed to the non-unitary components of the dynamics that result from the contact of the $c\bar{c}$ subsystem with the thermal bath, leading to a rapid classicalization of the subsystem.

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arXiv2025

Quarkonium dynamics in the quantum Brownian regime with non-abelian quantum master equations

Quarkonium production in ultrarelativistic heavy ions collisions is one of the best probes of the QGP formed in these collisions. Resorting to accurate methods to describe the $Q\bar{Q}$ evolution in a QGP is a prerequisite for the precise interpretation of experimental data. Among these methods, the quantum master equations (QME) derived within the formalism of open quantum systems are particularly relevant. We present exact numerical solutions in a 1D setting of previously derived quantum master equations (QME) in their quantum Brownian regime. Distinctive features of the in-medium bottomonia evolution with the QME are presented; some phenomenological consequences are addressed by considering evolutions for a fixed as well as EPOS4 temperature profiles. Next, we investigate the accuracy of the semiclassical approximation (often used to describe charmonium production in URHIC) by benchmarking the corresponding evolutions on the exact solutions derived with the QME for the case of a $c\bar{c}$ pair.

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arXiv2024

Quarkonium dynamics in the quantum Brownian regime with non-abelian quantum master equations

We present numerical solutions in a one-dimensional setting of quantum master equations that have been recently derived. We focus on the dynamics of a single heavy quark-antiquark pair in a Quark-Gluon Plasma in thermal equilibrium, in the so-called quantum Brownian regime where the temperature of the plasma is large in comparison with the spacing between the energy levels of the $Q\bar{Q}$ system. The one-dimensional potential used in the calculations has been adjusted so as to produce numbers that are relevant for the phenomenology of the charmonium. The equations are solved using different initial states and medium configurations. Various temperature regimes are studied and the effects of screening and collisions thoroughly analyzed. Technical features of the equations are analyzed. The contributions of the different operators that control the evolution are discussed as a function of the temperature. Some phenomenological consequences are addressed.

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arXiv2018

Effects of jet-medium interactions on angular correlations of jet-particle pairs at different energy scales

The energy-loss of hard probes within the hot and dense medium of a quark gluon plasma (QGP) can be described by theoretical models based on radiative energy loss as well as combinations of collisional and radiative energy loss. In a search for observables that allow to disentangle these energy-loss mechanisms, we introduced a set of effective models that allows to investigate the consequences on jets of both types of jet-medium interactions within a consistent framework. We particularly studied angular jet-broadening via angular two-particle correlations. Distinguishing contributions from pairs at different scales of particle momenta, we found qualitative differences between radiative and collisional approaches.

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arXiv2018

Discrimination of effective radiative and collisional in-medium energy-loss models by their effects on angular jet structure

Energy-loss studies of hard particle probes produced in heavy ion collisions have often been used to get information on the interactions within the medium of a quark-gluon plasma (QGP). However, with the study of in-medium energy-loss of individual particles alone, it remains still ambiguous, whether the occured decrease in particle energy is caused by predominantly radiative or collisional energy-loss mechanisms. Focusing on the in-medium energy-loss of hard jet-partons, we propose additional studies of the angular jet-structure as a means to further constrain the energy-loss mechanisms.

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arXiv2016

Constraining in-medium heavy-quark energy-loss mechanisms via angular correlations between heavy and light mesons

Two-particle correlations obtained from parton showers that pass the hot and dense medium of the quark gluon plasma (QGP) can be used as an alternative observable, in addition to the combination of the nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ and the elliptic flow $v_2$, to study the mechanisms of in-medium heavy quark energy-loss. In particular, angular correlations represent a promising tool to distinguish between energy loss due to collisional and radiative interactions of jet and medium particles. To this end, parton cascades were created in Monte-Carlo simulations, where individual particles can undergo both parton splitting as well as an effective jet-medium interaction. A first model simulates the effects of induced radiations on parton cascades. Its consequences on angular correlations of partons within jets were studied in detail, with particular focus on angular broadening. The results can be compared to a second model that effectively describes elastic scatterings of jet and medium particles.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Gluon radiation by heavy quarks at intermediate energies and consequences for the mass hierarchy of energy loss

We extend the Gunion Bertsch calculation of gluon radiation in single scattering to the case of finite mass quarks. This case applies to the radiative energy-loss of heavy quarks of intermediate energies propagating in a quark gluon plasma. We discuss more specifically the dead cone effect as well as the mass hierarchy of the collisional and radiative energy loss and provide some predictions for observables sensitive to the mass hierarchy of energy loss in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Formation of bremsstrahlung in an absorptive QED/QCD medium

The radiative energy loss of a relativistic charge in a dense, absorptive medium can be affected significantly by damping phenomena. The effect is more pronounced for large energies of the charge and/or large damping of the radiation. This can be understood in terms of a competition between the formation time of bremsstrahlung and a damping time scale. We discuss this competition in detail for the absorptive QED and QCD medium, focusing on the case in which the mass of the charge is large compared to the in-medium mass of the radiation quanta. We identify the regions in energy and parameter space, in which either coherence or damping effects are of major importance for the radiative energy loss spectrum. We show that damping phenomena can lead to a stronger suppression of the spectrum than coherence effects.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Gluon radiation by heavy quarks at intermediate energies

Employing scalar QCD we study the gluon emission of heavy quarks created by the interaction with light quarks considered as dynamical scattering centers. We develop approximation formulas for the high energy limit and study when the full calculation reaches this high energy limit. For zero quark masses and in the high energy limit our model reproduces the Gunion-Bertsch results. We justify why scalar QCD represents a good approximation to the full QCD approach for the energy loss of heavy quarks. In the regime of accessible phenomenology we observe that the emission at small transverse momentum (dead cone effect) is less suppressed than originally suggested. We also investigate the influence of a finite gluon mass on the discussed results.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Heavy quark quenching from RHIC to LHC and the consequences of gluon damping

In this contribution to the Quark Matter 2012 conference, we study whether energy loss models established for RHIC energies to describe the quenching of heavy quarks can be applied at LHC with the same success. We also benefit from the larger $p_T$-range accessible at this accelerator to test the impact of gluon damping on observables such as the nuclear modification factor.

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arXiv2012

Radiative energy loss in the absorptive QGP: taming the long formation lengths in coherent emission

In an absorptive plasma, damping of radiation mechanisms can influence the bremsstrahlung formation in case of large radiation formation lengths. We study qualitatively the influence of this effect on the gluon bremsstrahlung spectrum off heavy quarks in the quark-gluon plasma. Independent of the heavy-quark mass, the spectrum is found to be strongly suppressed in an intermediate gluon energy region which grows with increasing gluon damping rate and increasing energy of the heavy quark. Thus, just as polarization effects in the plasma render the bremsstrahlung spectra independent of the quark mass in the soft gluon regime, damping effects tend to have a similar impact for larger gluon energies.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Recent results on heavy quark quenching in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions

In this contribution, we present some predictions for the production of D and B mesons in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC energies and confront them with experimental results obtained so far by the STAR, PHENIX, ALICE and CMS collaborations. We next discuss some preliminary results obtained with an improved description of the medium based on EPOS initial conditions, and its possible implications on the nuclear modification factor and on the elliptic flow of heavy quarks.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Theory of heavy quark energy loss

We briefly review some of the models and theoretical schemes established to describe heavy quark quenching in ultrarelativistic heavy ions collisions. Some lessons are derived from RHIC and early LHC data, especially as for the contraints they impose on those models.

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arXiv2008

Probing gluon shadowing with forward photons at RHIC

There is a major need to better constrain nuclear parton densities in order to provide reliable perturbative QCD predictions at the LHC as well as to probe possible non-linear evolution at small values of x. In these proceedings, we discuss how the production of prompt photons at large rapidity in p-p and d-Au collisions at RHIC (sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV) is sensitive to the nuclear modifications of gluon distributions at x~0.001 and at rather low scales, Q^2~10 GeV^2. The nuclear production ratio, R_dAu=sigma(d+A->gamma+X)/(2A sigma(p+p->gamma X), is computed for isolated prompt photons at NLO using the nDSg nuclear parton densities, in order to assess the visibility of the signal. We also emphasise that the expected counting rates in a year of running at RHIC are large, indicating that R_dAu could be measured with a high statistical accuracy.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Measuring gluon shadowing with prompt photons at RHIC and LHC

The possibility to observe the nuclear modification of the gluon distribution at small-x (gluon shadowing) using high-p_T prompt photon production at RHIC and at LHC is discussed. The per-nucleon ratio, sigma(p+A -> gamma+X) / A sigma(p+p -> gamma+X), is computed for both inclusive and isolated prompt photons in perturbative QCD at NLO using different parametrizations of nuclear parton densities, in order to assess the visibility of the shadowing signal. The production of isolated photons turns out to be a promising channel which allows for a reliable extraction of the gluon density, G^A/G^p, and the structure function, F_2^A/F_2^p, in a nucleus over that in a proton. Moreover, the production ratio of prompt photons at forward-over-backward rapidity in p-A collisions provides an estimate of G^A/G^p (at small x) over F_2^A/F_2^p (at large x), without the need of p-p reference data at the same energy.

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arXiv2000

gamma* gamma -> pi pi at large Q^2

The QCD analysis of the process gamma* gamma -> pi pi at large Q^2 and small center-of-mass energy allows one to access a new hadronic observable describing the exclusive transition from a q qbar or g g state to a pair of mesons. A fruitful study may be envisaged at existing machines.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Exclusive production of pion pairs in gamma^* gamma collisions at large Q^2

We perform a QCD analysis of the exclusive production of two mesons in gamma^* gamma collisions in the kinematical domain of large photon virtuality Q and small hadronic invariant mass W. This reaction is dominated by a scale invariant mechanism which factorizes into a perturbative subprocess, gamma^* gamma --> q qbar or gamma^* gamma --> g g, and a generalized two-meson distribution amplitude. We develop in detail the phenomenology of this process at e^+ e^- colliders. Using a simple model for the two-pion distribution amplitude, based on its general properties, we estimate the cross section for the kinematics accessible at BABAR, BELLE, CLEO and LEP.

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