Single Inclusive Hadron Production at RHIC and the LHC from the Color Glass Condensate

TL;DR

This paper uses the Color Glass Condensate framework and numerical solutions of the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation to accurately describe single inclusive hadron production at RHIC and predict nuclear effects at LHC energies.

Contribution

It provides a parameter-free description of RHIC data using unintegrated gluon distributions from the BK equation with running coupling, and extends predictions to LHC energies.

Findings

Good agreement with RHIC data without K-factors

A universal K-factor of about 1/3 needed for pion production

Predictions for nuclear modification factors at LHC energies

Abstract

Using the unintegrated gluon distribution obtained from numerical simulations of the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation with running coupling, we obtain a very good description of RHIC data on single inclusive hadron production at forward rapidities in both p+p and d+Au collisions. No K-factors are needed for charged hadrons, whereas for pion production a rapidity independent K-factor of order 1/3 is needed. Extrapolating to LHC energies, we calculate nuclear modification factors for light hadrons in p+Pb collision, as well as the contribution of initial state effects to the suppression of the nuclear modification factor in Pb+Pb collisions.