Effect of flow fluctuations and nonflow on elliptic flow methods

We discuss how the different estimates of elliptic flow are influenced by flow fluctuations and nonflow effects. It is explained why the event-plane method yields estimates between the two-particle correlation methods and the multiparticle correlation methods. It is argued that nonflow effects and fluctuations cannot be disentangled without other assumptions. However, we provide equations where, with reasonable assumptions about fluctuations and nonflow, all measured values of elliptic flow converge to a unique mean v_{2,PP} elliptic flow in the participant plane and, with a Gaussian assumption on eccentricity fluctuations, can be converted to the mean v_{2,RP} in the reaction plane. Thus, the 20% spread in observed elliptic flow measurements from different analysis methods is no longer mysterious.Comment: one typo in Table I correcte

Anisotropic flow from Lee-Yang zeroes: a practical guide

We present a new method to analyze anisotropic flow from the genuine correlation among a large number of particles, focusing on the practical implementation of the method.Comment: 4 pages; contribution to Quark Matter 2004, Oakland, January 11-17, 200

Analysis of directed flow from three-particle correlations

We present a new method for analysing directed flow, based on a three-particle azimuthal correlation. It is less biased by nonflow correlations than two-particle methods, and requires less statistics than four-particle methods. It is illustrated on NA49 data.Comment: Contribution to Quark Matter 2002, Nantes, July 18-24, 200

Universal parameterization of initial-state fluctuations and its applications to event-by-event anisotropy

We propose Elliptic Power and Power parameterizations for the probability distribution of initial state anisotropies in heavy-ion collisions. By assuming a linear eccentricity scaling, the new parameterizations can also be applied to fluctuations of harmonic flow. In particular, we analyze flow multi-particle cumulants and event-by-event distributions, both of which are recently measured at the LHC.Comment: 4 pages and 3 figures, proceedings of the XXIV Quark Matter conference, May 19-24 2014, Darmstadt (Germany

Determination of the reaction plane in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions

In the particles produced in a nuclear collision undergo collective flow, the reaction plane can in principle be determined through a global event analysis. We show here that collective flow can be identified by evaluating the reaction plane independently in two separate rapidity intervals, and studying the correlation between the two results. We give an analytical expression for the correlation function between the two planes as a function of their relative angle. We also discuss how this correlation function is related to the anisotropy of the transverse momentum distribution. Email contact: [email protected]: Saclay-T93/026 Email: [email protected]

New method for measuring azimuthal distributions in nucleus-nucleus collisions

The methods currently used to measure azimuthal distributions of particles in heavy ion collisions assume that all azimuthal correlations between particles result from their correlation with the reaction plane. However, other correlations exist, and it is safe to neglect them only if azimuthal anisotropies are much larger than 1/sqrt(N), with N the total number of particles emitted in the collision. This condition is not satisfied at ultrarelativistic energies. We propose a new method, based on a cumulant expansion of multiparticle azimuthal correlations, which allows to measure much smaller values of azimuthal anisotropies, down to 1/N. It is simple to implement and can be used to measure both integrated and differential flow. Furthermore, this method automatically eliminates the major systematic errors, which are due to azimuthal asymmetries in the detector acceptance.Comment: final version (misprints corrected), to be published in Phys.Rev.

Are eccentricity fluctuations able to explain the centrality dependence of v4v_4?

The fourth harmonic of the azimuthal distribution of particles $v_4$ has been measured for Au-Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The centrality dependence of $v_4$ does not agree with the prediction from hydrodynamics. In particular, the ratio $v_4/(v_2)^2$, where $v_2$ denotes the second harmonic of the azimuthal distribution of particles, is significantly larger than predicted by hydrodynamics. We argue that this discrepancy is mostly due to elliptic flow ($v_2$) fluctuations. We evaluate these fluctuations on the basis of a Monte Carlo Glauber calculation. The effect of deviations from local thermal equilibrium is also studied, but appears to be only a small correction. Combining these two effects allows us to reproduce experimental data for peripheral and midcentral collisions. However, we are unable to explain the large magnitude of $v_4/(v_2)^2$ observed for the most central collisions.Comment: talk presented at the Strangeness in Quark Matter Conference, Buzios, Brazil, Sept. 27 - oct. 2, 200

Anisotropic flows from initial state of a fast nucleus

We analyze azimuthal anisotropy in heavy ion collisions related to the reaction plane in terms of standard reggeon approach and find that it is nonzero even when the final state interaction is switched off. This effect can be interpreted in terms of partonic structure of colliding nuclei. We use Feynman diagram analysis to describe details of this mechanism. Main qualitative features of the appropriate azimuthal correlations are discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures. This paper is an extended version of a talk given at Session of Nuclear Physics Division of Russian Academy of Sciences in November 200