Testing collinear factorization and nuclear parton distributions with pA collisions at the LHC

Global perturbative QCD analyses, based on large data sets from electron-proton and hadron collider experiments, provide tight constraints on the parton distribution function (PDF) in the proton. The extension of these analyses to nuclear parton distributions (nPDF) has attracted much interest in recent years. nPDFs are needed as benchmarks for the characterization of hot QCD matter in nucleus-nucleus collisions, and attract further interest since they may show novel signatures of non- linear density-dependent QCD evolution. However, it is not known from first principles whether the factorization of long-range phenomena into process-independent parton distribution, which underlies global PDF extractions for the proton, extends to nuclear effects. As a consequence, assessing the reliability of nPDFs for benchmark calculations goes beyond testing the numerical accuracy of their extraction and requires phenomenological tests of the factorization assumption. Here we argue that a proton-nucleus collision program at the LHC would provide a set of measurements allowing for unprecedented tests of the factorization assumption underlying global nPDF fits.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

On-line and real time cell counting and viability determination for animal cell process monitoring by in situ microscopy

International audienc

Dependence of energy loss of jets on the initial thermodynamic state of deconfined matter at RHIC

The dependence of the radiative energy loss of fast partons on the initial thermodynamic parameters is studied for deconfined matter to be expected at RHIC. We demonstrate that the specific QCD radiation pattern with a quadratic dependence of the energy loss on the propagated distance leads to a strong increase of the energy loss with increasing initial entropy of deconfined matter supposed its life-time is less than the average time to pass through the medium. This is in contrast to a parameterization with constant energy loss per unit length of propagation. For a sufficiently high initial temperature a two-regime behavior of the energy loss as a function of the initial parton momentum occurs. The angular structure of the energy loss of hard jets with respect to the initial temperature is also discussed for RHIC conditions.Comment: 10 pages with fig

New Formulation of Causal Dissipative Hydrodynamics: Shock wave propagation

The first 3D calculation of shock wave propagation in a homogeneous QGP has been performed within the new formulation of relativistic dissipative hydrodynamics which preserves the causality. We found that the relaxation time plays an important role and also affects the angle of Mach cone.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Proceedings of Quark Matter 200

Influence of airway‐occluding instruments on airway pressure during jet ventilation for rigid bronchoscopy

We measured changes in airway pressure (Paw) caused by microsurgical instruments introduced into a rigid bronchoscope during high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV). With approval of the institutional Ethics Committee, 10 adults undergoing elective tracheobronchial endoscopy and endosonography during general anaesthesia were investigated. Inflation of an endosonography probe balloon in the left main stem bronchus caused airway obstruction. Pressure measurements proximal and distal to the obstruction were compared after three degrees of obstruction (0%, 50% and 90%) and with two different driving pressure settings. Airway obstruction increased the mean (sd) peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) from 7.5 (2.6) to 9.5 (3.5) mm Hg for 2 atm (P=0.0008) and from 9.7 (3.7) to 13.0 (5.1) mm Hg for 3 atm (P=0.0001). Airway obstruction did not alter peripheral PIP (7.2 (4.1) to 7.1 (3.7) mm Hg for 2 atm and 8.8 (4.3) to 9.4 (5.2) mm for 3 atm), but resulted in an end‐expiratory pressure (EEP) beyond the narrowing being significantly greater than in the unobstructed airway (2.5 (3.4) to 5.5 (3.7) mm Hg for 2 atm; P=0.0005) and 3.2 (3.6) to 8.0 (4.3) mm for 3 atm; P<0.0001). Severe airway narrowing increases inspiratory pressure proximal and expiratory pressure distal to the obstruction in relation to the applied driving pressure. Since the distal EEP never exceeded PIP, even near‐total airway obstruction should not cause severe lung distension or barotrauma in subjects with normal lungs. Br J Anaesth 2000; 85: 463-

Theoretical Overview Quark Matter '04

The much wider transverse-momentum range accessible in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and at the LHC allows us to disentangle the dynamics of partonic equilibration from the dynamics of delayed hadronization. This provides a novel tool for testing the equilibration mechanisms underlying QCD thermodynamics. Here, I argue, on the basis of simple formation-time arguments, why this is so, and I review recent theoretical developments in this context.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, 3 eps figures, invited introductory talk at Quark Matter 2004, Oakland, January 11-17, 200

Variation of jet quenching from RHIC to LHC and thermal suppression of QCD coupling constant

We perform a joint jet tomographic analysis of the data on the nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ from PHENIX at RHIC and ALICE at LHC. The computations are performed accounting for radiative and collisional parton energy loss with running coupling constant. Our results show that the observed slow variation of $R_{AA}$ from RHIC to LHC indicates that the QCD coupling constant is suppressed in the quark-gluon plasma produced at LHC.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Reaction Operator Approach to Multiple Elastic Scatterings

We apply the GLV Reaction Operator formalism to compute the effects of multiple elastic scatterings of jets propagating through dense matter. We derive the elastic Reaction Operator and demonstrate that the recursion relations have a closed form solution that reduces to the familiar Glauber form. We also investigate the accuracy of the Gaussian dipole approximation for jet transverse momentum broadening.Comment: 9 pages, 4 .ps figures. Uses REVTeX and bbox.st

Hadron production in heavy ion collisions: Fragmentation and recombination from a dense parton phase

We discuss hadron production in heavy ion collisions at RHIC. We argue that hadrons at transverse momenta P_T < 5 GeV are formed by recombination of partons from the dense parton phase created in central collisions at RHIC. We provide a theoretical description of the recombination process for P_T > 2 GeV. Below P_T = 2 GeV our results smoothly match a purely statistical description. At high transverse momentum hadron production is well described in the language of perturbative QCD by the fragmentation of partons. We give numerical results for a variety of hadron spectra, ratios and nuclear suppression factors. We also discuss the anisotropic flow v_2 and give results based on a flow in the parton phase. Our results are consistent with the existence of a parton phase at RHIC hadronizing at a temperature of 175 MeV and a radial flow velocity of 0.55c.Comment: 25 pages LaTeX, 18 figures; v2: some references updated; v3: some typos fixe

Evolution of Parton Fragmentation Functions at Finite Temperature

The first order correction to the parton fragmentation functions in a thermal medium is derived in the leading logarithmic approximation in the framework of thermal field theory. The medium-modified evolution equations of the parton fragmentation functions are also derived. It is shown that all infrared divergences, both linear and logarithmic, in the real processes are canceled among themselves and by corresponding virtual corrections. The evolution of the quark number and the energy loss (or gain) induced by the thermal medium are investigated.Comment: 21 pages in RevTex, 10 figure