Heavy flavor dynamics across system size at the LHC

Abstract

One of the fundamental signatures of the Quark Gluon Plasma has been the suppression of heavy flavor (specifically D mesons), which has been measured via the nuclear modification factor, $R_{AA}$ and azimuthal anisotropies, $v_n$, in large systems. However, multiple competing models can reproduce the same data for $R_{AA}$ to $v_n$. In this talk we break down the competing effects that conspire together to successfully reproduce $R_{AA}$ and $v_n$ in experimental data using Trento+v-USPhydro+DAB-MOD. Then using our best fit model we make predictions for $R_{AA}$ and $v_n$ across system size for ${}^{208}PbPb$, ${}^{129}XeXe$, ${}^{40}ArAr$, and ${}^{16}OO$ collisions. We find that 0--10\% centrality has a non-trivial interplay between the system size and eccentricities such that system size effects are masked in $v_2$ whereas in 30--50\% centrality the eccentricities are approximately constant across system size and, therefore, is a better centrality class to study D meson dynamics across system size.

8 pages, 5 figures, proceedings for the 36th edition of the Winter Workshop on Nuclear Dynamics