Energy Loss of Heavy Quarks in a QGP with a Running Coupling Constant Approach

TL;DR

This paper investigates the energy loss and elliptic flow of heavy quarks in an expanding quark-gluon plasma using a running coupling constant approach, aligning with lattice and pQCD results.

Contribution

It introduces a consistent method employing an effective running coupling and regulator to calculate heavy quark energy loss and flow in QGP, validated against lattice and pQCD data.

Findings

Effective coupling and regulator are compatible with lattice results.

Calculated energy loss and elliptic flow agree with pQCD calculations.

Method provides a reliable framework for heavy quark dynamics in QGP.

Abstract

We show that the effective running coupling constant, $\alpha_{\rm eff}$, and the effective regulator, $\kappa \tilde{m}_{D}^2$, which we used recently to calculate the energy loss, $\frac{dE}{dx}$, and the elliptic flow, $v_2$, of heavy quarks in an expanding quark gluon plasma plasma (QGP) are compatible with lattice results and with recently advanced analytical pQCD calculation.