The Rapidity structure of Mach cones and other large angle correlations in heavy-ion collisions
May, 2006Citations per year
Abstract: (Elsevier)
The pattern of angular correlations of hadrons with a (semi-)hard trigger hadron in heavy-ion collisions has attracted considerable interest. In particular, unexpected large angle structures on the away side (opposite to the trigger) have been found. Several explanations have been brought forward, among them Mach shockwaves and Cherenkov radiation. Most of these scenarios are characterized by radial symmetry around the parton axis, thus angular correlations also determine the rapidity dependence of the correlation. If the observed correlations are remnants of an away side parton after interaction with the medium created in the collision, pQCD allows to calculate the distribution P(y) of the away side partons in rapidity. The measured correlation then arises as a folding of P(y) and the rapidity structure of the correlation taking into account the detector acceptance. This places non-trivial and rather stringent constraints on the underlying scenario. We investigate these dependences and demonstrate that Mach shockwaves survive this folding procedure well whereas Cherenkov radiation scenarios face new challenges.Note:
- 9 pages, 3 figures, version to appear in Phys. Lett. B
- scattering: heavy ion
- hadron: multiple production
- angular correlation: (2hadron)
- rapidity dependence
- shock waves
- radiation: Cherenkov
- quantum chromodynamics: perturbation theory
- parton: energy loss
- numerical calculations
- interpretation of experiments: PHENIX
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