Jet Transport Coefficient at the Large Hadron Collider Energies in a Color String Percolation Approach

Within the color string percolation model (CSPM), jet transport coefficient, $\hat{q}$, is calculated for various multiplicity classes in proton-proton and for centrality classes in nucleus-nucleus collisions at the Large Hadron Collider energies for a better understanding of the matter formed in ultra-relativistic collisions. $\hat{q}$ is studied as a function of final state charged particle multiplicity, initial state percolation temperature and energy density. The CSPM results are then compared with different theoretical calculations from the JET collaboration those incorporate particle energy loss in the medium. A good agreement is found between CSPM results and the JET collaboration calculations.Comment: 8 pages and 7 figures, Submitted for publicatio

Formation of a Perfect Fluid in pppp, pp-Pb, Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb Collisions at the Large Hadron Collider Energies

Isothermal compressibility ($\kappa_{\rm T}$) is an important thermodynamic observable which gives information about the deviation of a fluid from a perfect fluid. In this work, for the first time we have estimated the isothermal compressibility of QCD matter formed in high energy hadronic and nuclear collisions using color string percolation model (CSPM), where we investigate the change in $\kappa_{\rm T}$ as a function of final state charged particle multiplicity across various collision species. We have also estimated the initial percolation temperature for different collision systems at different collision energies, which helps us to have a better understanding of the system at the initial phase of evolution. The comparison of the CSPM results for isothermal compressibility with that for the well known fluids, indicates that the matter formed in heavy-ion collisions might be the {\it closest perfect fluid} found in nature. This estimation complements the well-known observation of minimum shear viscosity to entropy density ratio for a possible QGP medium created in heavy-ion collision experiments. Also, a threshold of pseudorapidity density of charged particles, $dN_{\rm ch}/d\eta \simeq 10$ is found for a possible QGP formation at the LHC energies.Comment: Xe-Xe data are added to this versio

Searching for the Next Yukawa Phase of QCD

QCD predicts that the interactions between quarks and gluons change from a confining to a screened Yukawa form above a critical temperature $T_c\sim 150$ MeV. In this talk, I review some of the key observables in heavy ion reactions which are being used to search for this new partonic Yukawa phase at SPS and RHIC. These include collective observables such as $dE_\perp/dyd^2p_\perp$, meson interferometry, jet quenching, and $J/\psi$ suppression.Comment: 24 pages (PTPTex style files included) with 26 eps,ps figures using epsf,psfig. To appear in Proc. of 14th Nishinomiya-Yukawa Memorial Symposium Nov. 1999, Japan; updated with a critique of the CERN press release Feb. 8, 200

Particle Production in Heavy Ion Collisions

The status of thermal model descriptions of particle production in heavy ion collisions is presented. We discuss the formulation of statistical models with different implementation of the conservation laws and indicate their applicability in heavy ion and elementary particle collisions. We analyze experimental data on hadronic abundances obtained in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions, in a very broad energy range starting from RHIC/BNL ($\sqrt s=200$ A GeV), SPS/CERN ($\sqrt s\simeq 20$ A GeV) up to AGS/BNL ($\sqrt s\simeq 5$ A GeV) and SIS/GSI ($\sqrt s\simeq 2$ A GeV) to test equilibration of the fireball created in the collision. We argue that the statistical approach provides a very satisfactory description of experimental data covering this wide energy range. Any deviations of the model predictions from the data are indicated. We discuss the unified description of particle chemical freeze--out and the excitation functions of different particle species. At SPS and RHIC energy the relation of freeze--out parameters with the QCD phase boundary is analyzed. Furthermore, the application of the extended statistical model to quantitative understanding of open and hidden charm hadron yields is considered.Comment: Invited review for Quark Gluon Plasma 3, eds. R. C. Hwa and Xin-Nian Wang, World Scientific Publishin

Heavy-flavour and quarkonium production in the LHC era: from proton-proton to heavy-ion collisions

This report reviews the study of open heavy-flavour and quarkonium production in high-energy hadronic collisions, as tools to investigate fundamental aspects of Quantum Chromodynamics, from the proton and nucleus structure at high energy to deconfinement and the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma. Emphasis is given to the lessons learnt from LHC Run 1 results, which are reviewed in a global picture with the results from SPS and RHIC at lower energies, as well as to the questions to be addressed in the future. The report covers heavy flavour and quarkonium production in proton-proton, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. This includes discussion of the effects of hot and cold strongly interacting matter, quarkonium photo-production in nucleus-nucleus collisions and perspectives on the study of heavy flavour and quarkonium with upgrades of existing experiments and new experiments. The report results from the activity of the SaporeGravis network of the I3 Hadron Physics programme of the European Union 7th Framework Programme

Phase transitions in the early and the present Universe

The evolution of the Universe is the ultimate laboratory to study fundamental physics across energy scales that span about 25 orders of magnitude: from the grand unification scale through particle and nuclear physics scales down to the scale of atomic physics. The standard models of cosmology and particle physics provide the basic understanding of the early and present Universe and predict a series of phase transitions that occurred in succession during the expansion and cooling history of the Universe. We survey these phase transitions, highlighting the equilibrium and non-equilibrium effects as well as their observational and cosmological consequences. We discuss the current theoretical and experimental programs to study phase transitions in QCD and nuclear matter in accelerators along with the new results on novel states of matter as well as on multi- fragmentation in nuclear matter. A critical assessment of similarities and differences between the conditions in the early universe and those in ultra- relativistic heavy ion collisions is presented. Cosmological observations and accelerator experiments are converging towards an unprecedented understanding of the early and present Universe.Comment: 41 pages, 16 figures, to appear in Ann. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci 2006. Presentation improved, references adde