Constraints from $v_2$ fluctuations for the initial state geometry of heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

The ability to accurately compute the series of coefficients $v_n$ characterizing the momentum space anisotropies of particle production in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions as a function of centrality is widely regarded as a triumph of fluid dynamics as description of the bulk matter evolution. A key ingredient to fluid dynamical modeling is however the initial spatial distribution of matter as created by a yet not completely understood equilibration process. A measurement directly sensitive to this initial state geometry is therefore of high value for constraining models of pre-equilibrium dynamics. Recently, it has been shown that such a measurement is indeed possible in terms of the event by event probability distribution of the normalized $v_n$ distribution as a function of centrality, which is to high accuracy independent on the details of the subsequent fluid dynamical evolution and hence directly reflects the primary distribution of spatial eccentricities. We present a study of this observable using a variety of Glauber-based models and argue that the experimental data place very tight constraints on the initial distribution of matter and rule out all simple Glauber-based models.