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arXiv · 2408.15006

Sources of longitudinal flow decorrelations in high-energy nuclear collisions

Abstract

The longitudinal structure of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) consists of several components spanning various scales. However, its short-range features are often obscured by final-state non-flow correlations. Here, we introduce a data-driven approach to separate initial state structures from non-flow effects. The longitudinal structure is found having two distinct components: one that reflects the global twisted geometry of the QGP, and another that captures localized fluctuations in rapidity. The characteristics of this second component, contributing to short- and medium-range flow decorrelations, can be quantified by comparing collisions of nuclei with different shapes. This study represents the first successful attempt to disentangle long- and short-range flow decorrelations from non-flow backgrounds, providing new insights into the initial conditions of heavy-ion collisions.

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Jiangyong Jia, Shengli Huang, Chunjian Zhang, Somadutta Bhatta. 2024-08-27. Sources of longitudinal flow decorrelations in high-energy nuclear collisions. https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.15006

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