Elliptic flow and incomplete equilibration at RHIC
Aug, 2005
4 pages
Published in:
- Phys.Lett.B 627 (2005) 49-54
e-Print:
- nucl-th/0508009 [nucl-th]
Report number:
- ECT*-05-06,
- CERN-PH-TH-2005-143,
- SPHT-T05-126,
- TIFR-TH-05-30
Citations per year
Abstract:
We argue that RHIC data, in particular those on the anisotropic flow coefficients v_2 and v_4, suggest that the matter produced in the early stages of nucleus-nucleus collisions is incompletely thermalized. We interpret the parameter (1/S)(dN/dy), where S is the transverse area of the collision zone and dN/dy the multiplicity density, as an indicator of the number of collisions per particle at the time when elliptic flow is established, and hence as a measure of the degree of equilibration. This number serves as a control parameter which can be varied experimentally by changing the system size, the centrality of the collision, or the beam energy. We provide predictions for Cu-Cu collisions at RHIC as well as for Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC.- 24.10.Nz
- 25.75.Ld
- scattering: heavy ion
- copper
- lead
- gold
- elliptic flow
- multiplicity: density
- hydrodynamics
- central region
References(25)
Figures(0)