Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Xin-Nian Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Xin-Nian Wang.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Nuclear suppression of azimuthal asymmetries in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering off polarized targets

We extend the study of nuclear dependence of the transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions and azimuthal asymmetries to semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) off polarized nuclear targets. We show that azimuthal asymmetries are suppressed for SIDIS off a polarized nuclear target relative to that off a polarized nucleon due to multiple scattering inside the nucleus. Using the value of transport parameter inside large nuclei extracted from jet quenching analyses in SIDIS off nuclear targets, we also present a numerical estimate of the nuclear suppression of the azimuthal asymmetry that might be useful to guide the future experimental studies of SIDIS off polarized nuclear targets.

nucl-th↗

What hard probes tell us about the quark-gluon plasma: Theory

In the study of the quark-gluon plasma in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, hard and electromagnetic (EM) processes play an essential role as probes of the properties of the dense medium. They can be used to study a wide range of properties of the dense medium in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, from space-time profiles of the dense matter, bulk transport coefficients to EM responses and the jet transport parameter. I review in this talk these medium properties, how they can be studied through hard and EM probes and the status of recent theoretical and phenomenological investigations.

nucl-th↗

Next-to-Leading QCD Factorization for Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering at Twist-4

Within the framework of a high-twist approach, we calculate the next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD corrections to the transverse momentum broadening in semi-inclusive hadron production in deeply inelastic $e+A$ collisions, as well as lepton pair production in $p+A$ collisions. With explicit calculations of both real and virtual contributions, we verify, for the first time, the factorization theorem at twist 4 in NLO for the nuclear-enhanced transverse momentum weighted differential cross section and demonstrate the universality of the associated twist-4 quark-gluon correlation function. We also identify the QCD evolution equation for the twist-4 quark-gluon correlation function in a large nucleus, which can be solved to determine the scale dependence of the jet transport parameter in the study of jet quenching.

hep-ph↗

Initial Conditions for Modified DGLAP Evolution of the Modified Fragmentation Functions in Nuclear Medium

Initial conditions are required to solve medium modified DGLAP (mDGLAP) evolution equations for modified fragmentation functions due to multiple scatterings and parton energy loss. Such initial conditions should in principle include energy loss for partons at scale $Q_0$ above which mDGLAP evolution equations can be applied. Several models for the initial condition motivated by induced gluon bremsstrahlung in perturbative QCD are used to calculate the modified fragmentation functions in nuclear medium and to extract the jet transport parameter $\hat q$ from fits to experimental data in deeply inelastic scattering (DIS) off nuclei. The model with a Poisson convolution of multiple gluon emissions is found to provide the overall best $χ^2$/d.o.f. fit to the HERMES data and gives a value of $\hat q_0 \approx 0.020 \pm 0.005$ GeV$^2$/fm at the center of a large nucleus.

nucl-th↗

Extracting jet transport coefficient from jet quenching at RHIC and LHC

Within five different approaches to parton propagation and energy loss in dense matter, a phenomenological study of experimental data on suppression of large $p_T$ single inclusive hadrons in heavy-ion collisions at both RHIC and LHC was carried out. The evolution of bulk medium used in the study for parton propagation was given by 2+1D or 3+1D hydrodynamic models which are also constrained by experimental data on bulk hadron spectra. Values for the jet transport parameter $\hat q$ at the center of the most central heavy-ion collisions are extracted or calculated within each model, with parameters for the medium properties that are constrained by experimental data on the hadron suppression factor $R_{AA}$. For a quark with initial energy of 10 GeV we find that $\hat q\approx 1.2 \pm 0.3$ GeV$^2$/fm at an initial time $τ_0=0.6$ fm/$c$ in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV/n and $\hat q\approx 1.9 \pm 0.7 $ GeV$^2$/fm in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s}=2.76 $ TeV/n. Compared to earlier studies, these represent significant convergence on values of the extracted jet transport parameter, reflecting recent advances in theory and the availability of new experiment data from the LHC.

nucl-th↗

Azimuthal asymmetries in semi-inclusive DIS with polarized beam and/or target and their nuclear dependences

Using the formalism obtained from collinear expansion, we calculate the differential cross section and azimuthal asymmetries in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic lepton-nucleon (nucleus) scattering process $e^-+N (A) \to e^-+q+X$ with both polarized beam and polarized target up to twist-3. We derive the azimuthal asymmetries in terms of twist-3 parton correlation functions. We simplify the results by using the QCD equation of motion that leads to a set of relationships between different twist-3 functions. We further study the nuclear dependence of azimuthal asymmetries and show that they have similar suppression factors as those in the unpolarized reactions.

hep-ph↗

Relics of Minijets amid Anisotropic Flows in High-energy Heavy-ion Collisions

Two dimensional low-$p_T$ dihadron correlations in azimuthal angle $ϕ$ and pseudo-rapidity $η$ in high-energy heavy-ion collisions are investigated within both the HIJING Monte Carlo model and an event-by-event (3+1)D ideal hydrodynamic model. Without final-state interaction and collective expansion, dihadron correlations from HIJING simulations have a typical structure from minijets that contains a near-side two-dimensional peak and an away-side ridge along the $η$-direction. In contrast, event-by-event (3+1)D ideal hydrodynamic simulations with fluctuating initial conditions from the HIJING+AMPT model produce a strong dihadron correlation that has an away-side as well as a near-side ridge. Relics of intrinsic dihadron correlation from minijets in the initial conditions still remain as superimposed on the two ridges. By varying initial conditions from HIJING+AMPT, we study effects of minijets, non-vanishing initial flow and longitudinal fluctuation on the final state dihadron correlations. With a large rapidity gap, one can exclude near-side correlations from minijet relics and dihadron correlations can be described by the superposition of harmonic flows up to the 6th order. When long-range correlations with a large rapidity gap are subtracted from short-range correlations with a small rapidity gap, the remaining near-side dihadron correlations result solely from relics of minijets. Low transverse momentum hadron yields per trigger ($p_T^{\rm trig} <4$ GeV/$c$, $p_T^{\rm asso}<2$ GeV/$c$) in central heavy-ion collisions are significantly enhanced over that in p+p collisions while widths in azimuthal angle remain the same, in qualitative agreement with experimental data.

nucl-th↗

Medium Modification of γ-jets in High-energy Heavy-ion Collisions

Medium modification of γ-tagged jets in high-energy heavy-ion collisions is investigated within a Linearized Boltzmann Transport model for jet propagation that includes both elastic parton scattering and induced gluon emission. Inclusion of recoiled medium partons in the reconstruction of partonic jets is found to significantly reduce the net jet energy loss. Experimental data on γ-jet asymmetry and survival rate in Pb + Pb collisions at \sqrt{s}=2.76 TeV can be reproduced. Medium modifications of reconstructed jet fragmentation function, transverse profile and energy flow outside the jet-cone are found to be sizable especially for γ-tagged jets with small values of x=p_T^{jet}/p_T^γ.

hep-ph↗

Berry curvature and 4-dimensional monopole in relativistic chiral kinetic equation

We derive a relativistic chiral kinetic equation with manifest Lorentz covariance from Wigner functions of spin-1/2 massless fermions in a constant background electromagnetic field. It contains vorticity terms and a 4-dimensional Euclidean Berry monopole which gives axial anomaly. By integrating out the zero-th component of the 4-momentum p, we reproduce the previous 3-dimensional results derived from the Hamiltonian approach, together with the newly derived vorticity terms. The phase space continuity equation has an anomalous source term proportional to the product of electric and magnetic fields ($F\tilde{F} \sim E.B$). This provides a unified interpretation of the chiral magnetic and vortical effects, chiral anomaly, Berry curvature, and the Berry monopole in the framework of Wigner functions.

hep-th↗

Comparison of Jet Quenching Formalisms for a Quark-Gluon Plasma "Brick"

We review the currently available formalisms for radiative energy loss of a high-momentum parton in a dense strongly interacting medium. The underlying theoretical framework of the four commonly used formalisms is discussed and the differences and commonalities between the formalisms are highlighted. A quantitative comparison of the single gluon emission spectra as well as the energy loss distributions is given for a model system consisting of a uniform medium with a fixed length of L=2 fm and L=5 fm (the `Brick'). Sizable quantitative differences are found. The largest differences can be attributed to specific approximations that are made in the calculation of the radiation spectrum.

hep-ph↗

Effect of longitudinal fluctuation in event-by-event (3+1)D hydrodynamics

Hadron spectra and elliptic flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions are studied in event-by-event (3+1)D ideal hydrodynamic simulations with fluctuating initial conditions given by the AMPT Monte Carlo model. Both the coherent soft gluon production from wounded nucleons and incoherent mini-jet production in semi-hard parton scatterings are considered. These partons take part in parton cascade and are assumed to be locally thermalized. They provide the fluctuating initial conditions for hydrodynamic simulations with a Gaussian smearing. Effects of both transverse and longitudinal fluctuations are studied. The initial fluctuations along rapidity direction lead to expanding hot spots in longitudinal direction, which will reduce elliptic flow and the yield of particles at high transverse momentum. The intrinsic correlation introduced in the fluctuating initial conditions is also found to influence the di-hadron correlation of the final hadrons.

nucl-th↗

Parton energy loss in cold nuclei

Within the generalized high-twist factorization formalism, we express the contribution from multiple parton scattering and induced gluon radiation to the DY dilepton spectra in terms of nuclear modified effective beam quark distribution function. We show that beam quark energy loss is characterized by jet transport parameter $\hat{q}$, which is related to the local gluon density of the medium. Using the value of $\hat{q}$ determined from the deeply inelastic scattering (DIS) data, we evaluate the nuclear modification factor in Drell-Yan process in p+A collisions. Effects of parton energy loss in the DY spectra are found negligible in the Fermilab experimental data at $E_{\rm lab}=800$ GeV relative to parton shadowing while the predicted suppression of DY spectra are significant at $E_{\rm lab}=120$ GeV.

hep-ph↗

Chiral anomaly and local polarization effect from quantum kinetic approach

A power expansion scheme is set up to determine the Wigner function that satisfies the quantum kinetic equation for spin-1/2 charged fermions in a background electromagnetic field. Vector and axial-vector current induced by magnetic field and vorticity are obtained simultaneously from the Wigner function. The chiral magnetic and vortical effect and chiral anomaly are shown as natural consequences of the quantum kinetic equation. The axial-vector current induced by vorticity is argued to lead to a local polarization effect along the vorticity direction in heavy-ion collisions.

hep-ph↗

Nuclear modification of high-p_T hadron spectra in p+A collisions at LHC

Multiple parton scatterings in high-energy p+A collisions involve multi-parton correlation inside the projectile and color coherence of multiple jets which will lead to nuclear modification of final hadron spectra relative to that in p+p collisions. Such modification of final hadron spectra in p+A collisions is studied within HIJING 2.1 model which includes initial parton shadowing, transverse momentum broadening, parton flavor and momentum correlation inside the projectile through flavor and momentum conservation and fragmentation of multiple jets. They are shown to modify the partonic flavor content of final jets and momentum spectra of final hadrons in p+A collisions at the Large Hadron Collider.

nucl-th↗

Effects of initial flow velocity fluctuation in event-by-event (3+1)D hydrodynamics

Hadron spectra and elliptic flow in high-energy heavy-ion collisions are studied within a (3+1)D ideal hydrodynamic model with fluctuating initial conditions given by the AMPT Monte Carlo model. Results from event-by-event simulations are compared with experimental data at both RHIC and LHC energies. Fluctuations in the initial energy density come from not only the number of coherent soft interactions of overlapping nucleons but also incoherent semi-hard parton scatterings in each binary nucleon collision. Mini-jets from semi-hard parton scatterings are assumed to be locally thermalized through a Gaussian smearing and give rise to non-vanishing initial local flow velocities. Fluctuations in the initial flow velocities lead to harder transverse momentum spectra of final hadrons due to non-vanishing initial radial flow velocities. Initial fluctuations in rapidity distributions lead to expanding hot spots in the longitudinal direction and are shown to cause a sizable reduction of final hadron elliptic flow at large transverse momenta.

nucl-th↗

Suppression of high $p_T$ hadron spectra in $p+A$ collisions

Multiple hard and semi-hard parton scatterings in high-energy $p+A$ collisions involve multi-parton correlation in both momentum and flavor inside the projectile proton which will lead to modification of the final hadron spectra relative to that in $p+p$ collisions. Such modification of final hadron transverse momentum spectra in $p+A$ collisions is studied within HIJING 2.1 Monte Carlo model which includes nuclear shadowing of the initial parton distributions and transverse momentum broadening. Multi-parton flavor and momentum correlation inside the projectile are incorporated through flavor and momentum conservation which are shown to modify the flavor content and momentum spectra of final partons and most importantly lead to suppression of large $p_{T}$ hadron spectra in $p+A$ collisions at both RHIC and LHC energies.

nucl-th↗

Quark Polarization in a Viscous Quark-Gluon Plasma

Quarks produced in the early stage of non-central heavy-ion collisions could develop a global spin polarization along the opposite direction of the reaction plane due to the spin-orbital coupling via parton interaction in a medium that has finite longitudinal flow shear along the direction of the impact parameter. We study how such polarization evolves via multiple scattering in a viscous quark-gluon plasma with an initial laminar flow. The final polarization is found to be sensitive to the viscosity and the initial shear of local longitudinal flow.

nucl-th↗

Initial fluctuations and dihadron and $γ$-hadron correlations in high-energy heavy ion collisions

Jets, jet-medium interaction and hydrodynamic evolution of fluctuations in initial parton density all lead to the final anisotropic dihadron azimuthal correlations in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. We remove the harmonic flow background and study the net correlations from different sources with different initial conditions within the AMPT model. We also study $γ$-hadron correlations which are only influenced by jet-medium interactions.

nucl-th↗