Suppression of the high-p(T) charged-hadron R(AA) at the LHC

Unraveling gluon jet quenching through J/ψ production in heavy-ion collisions

Jet quenching has long been regarded as one of the key signatures for the formation of quark-gluon plasma in heavy-ion collisions. Despite significant efforts, the separate identification of quark and gluon jet quenching has remained as a challenge. Here we show that J/ψ in high transverse momentum (pT) region provides a uniquely sensitive probe of in-medium gluon energy loss since its production at high pT is particularly dominated by gluon fragmentation. Such gluon-dominance is first demonstrated for the baseline of proton-proton collisions within the framework of leading power non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics factorization formalism. We then use the linear Boltzmann transport model combined with hydrodynamics for the simulation of jet-medium interaction in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The satisfactory description of experimental data on both nuclear modification factor RAA and elliptic flow v2 reveals, for the first time, that the gluon jet quenching is the driving force for high pTJ/ψ suppression. This novel finding is further confirmed by the data-driven Bayesian analyses of relevant experimental measurements, from which we also obtain the first quantitative extraction of the gluon energy loss distribution in the quark-gluon plasma.

From Hydrodynamics to Jet Quenching, Coalescence, and Hadron Cascade: A Coupled Approach to Solving the R_{AA}⊗v_{2} Puzzle

Hydrodynamics and jet quenching are responsible for the elliptic flow v_{2} and suppression of large transverse momentum (p_{T}) hadrons, respectively, two of the most important phenomena leading to the discovery of a strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. A consistent description of the hadron suppression factor R_{AA} and v_{2}, especially at intermediate p_{T}, however, remains a challenge. We solve this long-standing R_{AA}⊗v_{2} puzzle by including quark coalescence for hadronization and final state hadron cascade in the coupled linear Boltzmann transport-hydro model that combines concurrent jet transport and hydrodynamic evolution of the bulk medium. We illustrate that quark coalescence and hadron cascade, two keys to solving the puzzle, also lead to a splitting of v_{2} for pions, kaons, and protons in the intermediate p_{T} region. We demonstrate for the first time that experimental data on R_{AA}, v_{2}, and their hadron flavor dependence from low to intermediate and high p_{T} in high-energy heavy-ion collisions can be understood within this coupled framework.

Transverse momentum spectra and nuclear modification factors of identified charged hadrons in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV with ALICE

The ALICE experiment has measured the production of identified light-flavour hadrons in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at 5.02 TeV in a wide range of transverse momentum. The newest ALICE results on pion, kaon and proton transverse momentum spectra, yield ratios and nuclear modification factors will be presented and discussed in comparison to lower energy results. In particular, the production of identified hadrons in most central Pb-Pb collisions relative to pp collisions is found to be strongly suppressed at high transverse momenta (pT > 8 GeV/c) whereas in p-Pb collisions the nuclear modification factors are consistent with unity. This indicates that the strong suppression of high-pT hadrons measured in central Pb-Pb collisions is not due to an initial state effect but instead to the energy loss of partons traversing a hot and dense QCD medium.