Higher harmonic anisotropic flow measurements of charged particles at 2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector

Abstract

We report the measurements of elliptic flow $v_2$, as well as higher harmonics triangular flow $v_3$ and quadrangular flow $v_4$, in $\sqrt{s_{{}_{NN}}}=$ 2.76 TeV Pb--Pb collisions, measured with the ALICE detector. We show that the measured elliptic and triangular flow can be understood from the initial spatial anisotropy and its event--by--event fluctuations. The resulting fluctuations of $v_2$ and $v_3$ are also discussed.

arXiv comment6 pages, 4 figures, proceeding of Strangeness in Quark Matter 2011, Cracow, Poland