Pre-hydrodynamic evolution and its impact on quark-gluon plasma signatures

Abstract

State-of-the-art hydrodynamic models of heavy-ion collisions have considerable theoretical model uncertainties in the description of the very early pre-hydrodynamic stage. We add a new computational module, K${}_{\mathrm{T}}$Iso, that describes the pre-hydrodynamic evolution kinetically, based on the relativistic Boltzmann equation with collisions treated in the Isotropization Time Approximation. As a novelty, K${}_{\mathrm{T}}$Iso allows for the inclusion and evolution of initial-state momentum anisotropies. To maintain computational efficiency K${}_{\mathrm{T}}$Iso assumes strict longitudinal boost invariance and allows collisions to isotropize only the transverse momenta. We use it to explore the sensitivity of hadronic observables measured in relativistic heavy-ion collisions to initial-state momentum anisotropies and microscopic scattering during the pre-hydrodynamic stage.

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• Opacity dependence of transverse flow, pre-equilibrium and applicability of hydrodynamics in heavy-ion collisions
• Interplay of longitudinal and transverse expansion in the kinetic dynamics of heavy-ion collisions
• Relativistic BGK hydrodynamics