Jet charge in high-energy nuclear collisions

The averaged jet charge characterizes the electric charge of the initiating parton and provides a powerful tool to distinguish quark jets from gluon jets.We predict,for the first time,the medium modification of the averaged jet charge in the heavy-ion collisions at the LHC,where jet productions in p+p collisions are simulated by PYTHIA6,and the parton energy loss in QGP is calculated with two Monte Carlo models of jet quenching:PYQUEN and JEWEL.We found that the distribution of averaged jet charge is significantly suppressed by initial state isospin effects due to the participation of neutrons with zero electric charge during nuclear collisions.The considerable enhancement of the averaged jet charge in central Pb+Pb collisions is observed relative to peripheral collisions,since the jet quenching effect is more pronounced in central collisions.The distinct feature of the averaged jet charge between quark and gluon jets,along with the sensitivity of medium modifications on the jet charge to flavor dependence of the parton energy loss,could be very useful to discriminate the energy loss pattern between quark and gluon jets in heavy-ion collisions.     

Collective flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

A brief introduction is given to the field of collective flow, currently being investigated experimentally at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider, Brookhaven National Laboratory. It is followed by an outline of the work that I have been doing in this field, in collaboration with Nicolas Borghini and Jean-Yves Ollitrault.     

Seeing jets in heavy-ion collisions

In these proceedings, we briefly review how jets can be reconstructed in heavy-ion collisions. The main point we address is the subtraction of the large contamination from the underlying event background. We first present the main ingredients needed to define the jets and perform the background subtraction and then discuss the efficiency of the subtraction for different jet algorithms and background-estimation methods.     

Theoretical view of SPS and RHIC dilepton measurements

In this contribution I present a review on the actual status of dilepton measurements at SPS and RHIC energies and the current theoretical interpretations. Model independent results will be pointed out for both energies. Due to partially conflicting theoretical concepts I will highlight the open questions that may be solved by extended theoretical as well as experimental studies.     

Low-mass dielectrons from the PHENIX experiment at RHIC

The production of the low-mass dielectrons is considered to be a powerful tool to study the properties of the hot and dense matter created in the ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We present the preliminary results on the first measurements of the low-mass dielectron continuum in Au + Au collisions and the φ-meson production measured in Au + Au and d + Au collisions at = 200GeV performed by the PHENIX experiment.     

Scenario of instabilities driven equilibration of the quark-gluon plasma

Due to anisotropic momentum distribution the parton system produced at the early stage of relativistic heavy-ion collisions is unstable with respect to the magnetic plasma modes. The instabilities isotropize the system and thus speed up the process of its equilibration. The scenario of instabilities-driven isotropization is reviewed.     

Searching for quark matter with dileptons and photons: From SPS to relativistic heavy-ion collider

The heavy-ion programme at the CERN SPS, which started back in ’86, has produced a wealth of very interesting and intriguing results in the quest for the quark-gluon plasma. The highlights of the programme on dilepton and direct photon measurements are reviewed emphasizing the most recent results obtained in Pb-Pb collisions at 158 A GeV. Prospects from RHIC are discussed.     

Re-hardening of hadron transverse mass spectra in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We analyze the spectra of pions and protons in heavy-ion collisions at relativistic energies from 2 A GeV to 65+65 A GeV by using a jet-implemented hadron-string cascade model. In this energy region, hadron transverse mass spectra first show softening until SPS energies, and re-hardening may emerge at RHIC energies. Since hadronic matter is expected to show only softening at higher energy densities, this re-hardening of spectra can be interpreted as a good signature of the quark-gluon plasma formation     

Isospin equilibration in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We study the mixing and the kinetic equilibration of projectile and target nucleons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions in the energy regime between 150 AMeV and 2 AGeV in a coupled-channel BUU (CBUU) approach. We find that equilibrium in the projectile-target degrees of freedom is in general not reached even for large systems at low energy where elastic nucleon-nucleon collisions dominate. Inelastic nucleon excitations are more favorable for equilibration and their relative abundance increases both with energy and mass. Experimentally, the projectile/target admixture can be determined by measuring the degree of isospin equilibration in isospin asymmetric nuclear collisions. For one of the most promising systems currently under investigation, ⁹⁶ ₄₄Ru +⁹⁶ ₄₀Zr, we investigate the influence of the equation of state and the inelastic in-medium cross section. Received: 23 September 1998 / Revised version: 3 December 1998     

Z0 boson associated b-jet production in high-energy nuclear collisions

The production of vector boson tagged heavy quark jets potentially provides new tools to probe the jet quenching effect. In this paper, we present the first theoretical study on the angular correlations (\begin{document}$ \Delta\phi_{bZ} $\end{document}), transverse momentum imbalance (\begin{document}$ x_{bZ} $\end{document}), and nuclear modification factor (\begin{document}$ I_{AA} $\end{document}) of \begin{document}$ Z^0 $\end{document} boson tagged b-jets in heavy-ion collisions, which was performed using a Monte Carlo transport model. We find that the medium modification of the \begin{document}$ \Delta\phi_{bZ} $\end{document} for \begin{document}$ Z^0$\end{document} + b-jet has a weaker dependence on \begin{document}$ \Delta\phi_{bZ} $\end{document} than that for \begin{document}$ Z^0$\end{document} + jet, and the modification patterns are sensitive to the initial jet \begin{document}$ p_T $\end{document} distribution. Additionally, with the high purity of the quark jet in \begin{document}$ Z^0$\end{document} + (b-) jet production, we calculate the momentum imbalance \begin{document}$ x_{bZ} $\end{document} and the nuclear modification factor \begin{document}$ I_{AA} $\end{document} of \begin{document}$ Z^0$\end{document} + b-jet in Pb+Pb collisions. We observe a smaller \begin{document}$ \Delta \langle x_{jZ} \rangle $\end{document} and larger \begin{document}$ I_{AA} $\end{document} of \begin{document}$ Z^0$\end{document} + b-jet in Pb+Pb collisions relative to those of \begin{document}$ Z^0$\end{document} + jet, which may be an indication of the mass effect of jet quenching and can be tested in future measurements.     

Hadron production and phase changes in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We study soft hadron production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions in a wide range of reaction energy, 4.8 GeV < < 200 GeV, and make predictions about yields of particles using the statistical hadronization model. In fits to experimental data, we obtain both the statistical parameters as well as physical properties of the hadron source. We identify the properties of the fireball at the critical energy threshold, 6.26 GeV < < 7.61 GeV, marking for higher energies the hadronization of an entropy-rich phase. In terms of the chemical composition, one sees a phase which at low energy is chemically under-saturated, and which turns into a chemically over-saturated state persisting up to the maximum accessible energy. Assuming that there is no change in physical mechanisms in the energy range 15 > ≥200 GeV, we use continuity of particle yields and statistical parameters to predict the hadron production at = 62.4 GeV, and obtain total yields of hadrons at = 130 GeV. We consider, in depth, the pattern we uncover within the hadronization condition, and discuss possible mechanisms associated with the identified rapid change in system properties at . We propose that the chemically over-saturated 2 + 1 flavor hadron matter system undergoes a 1st-order phase transition.     

Results from STAR experiment at RHIC

We present some of the important experimental results from nucleus-nucleus collision studies carried out by the STAR experiment at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The results suggests that central Au+Au collisions at RHIC has produced a dense and rapidly thermalizing matter with initial energy densities above the critical values predicted by lattice QCD for establishment of a quark-gluon plasma (QGP).     

The effect of hadronization on the instabilities in an expanding parton plasma

The growth rate for instabilities in an expanding parton plasma is investigated by using a quasiparticle transport model including hadronization. The coupled Boltzmann equations for partons and pions with time dependent mean field masses and source terms are solved in the Bjorken boost invariant picture. Hadronization modifies the known instability in the parton plasma created by the mean field in two ways: In the beginning, hadronization increases the rate Γ of instability, but then Γ→ 0 when the hadronization is dominating the time evolution. Received: 11 January 1999     

Charm quark energy loss in QCD matter

The energy loss of heavy quarks in a quark-gluon plasma of finite size is studied within the light-cone path integral approach. A simple analytical formulation of the radiative energy loss of heavy quarks is derived. This provides a convenient way to quantitatively estimate the quark energy loss. Our results show that if the energy of a heavy quark is much larger than its mass, the radiative energy loss approaches the radiative energy loss of light quarks.     

Monte-Carlo simulation of heavy-ion collisions

We present Monte-Carlo simulations for heavy-ion collisions combining PYTHIA and the McGill-AMY formalism to describe the evolution of hard partons in a soft background, modelled using hydrodynamic simulations. MARTINI generates full event configurations in the high p_T region that take into account thermal QCD and QED effects as well as effects of the evolving medium. This way it is possible to perform detailed quantitative comparisons with experimental observables.