Exposing the Noncollectivity in Elliptic Flow

Abstract

We show that backward-forward elliptic anisotropy correlation provides an experimentally accessible observable which distinguishes between collective and non-collective contributions to the observed elliptic anisotropy $v_2$ in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The measurement of this observable will reveal the momentum scale at which collective expansion seizes and where the elliptic anisotropy is dominated by (semi)-hard processes.

4 pages, 3 figures. Final version with minor changes. Published as: Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 042302 (2009)

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