Elliptic Flow at Large Viscosity

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel explanation for the large elliptic flow observed in relativistic heavy ion collisions, suggesting it results from single-particle dynamics in a repulsive potential near the QCD transition temperature, with testable predictions involving heavy quark flow.

Contribution

It introduces a new scenario based on lattice QCD results, linking elliptic flow to single-particle potential effects above the critical temperature.

Findings

Elliptic flow can arise from single-particle dynamics in a repulsive potential.

Heavy quark elliptic flow measurements can test the proposed scenario.

Abstract

In this contribution we present an alternative scenario for the large elliptic flow observed in relativistic heavy ion collisions. Motivated by recent results from Lattice QCD on flavor off-diagonal susceptibilities we argue that the matter right above $T_{c}$ can be described by single-particle dynamics in a repulsive single-particle potential, which in turn gives rise to elliptic flow. These ideas can be tested experimentally by measuring elliptic flow of heavy quarks, preferably via the measurement of $J/\Psi$ elliptic flow.