Lattice QCD and Hydro/Cascade Model of Heavy Ion Collisions

TL;DR

This paper combines lattice QCD calculations of the QCD transition and equation of state with hydrodynamics and cascade modeling to better understand heavy ion collision data and constrain theoretical parameters.

Contribution

It provides a lattice-based parameterization of the QCD equation of state for hydrodynamics and presents preliminary multi-stage model results fitting experimental data.

Findings

Lattice study of QCD transition region at finite temperature.

Parameterization of QCD equation of state for hydrodynamics.

Preliminary hydrodynamics/hadron cascade model results fitting experimental data.

Abstract

We report here on a recent lattice study of the QCD transition region at finite temperature and zero chemical potential using domain wall fermions (DWF). We also present a parameterization of the QCD equation of state obtained from lattice QCD that is suitable for use in hydrodynamics studies of heavy ion collisions. Finally, we show preliminary results from a multi-stage hydrodynamics/hadron cascade model of a heavy ion collision, in an attempt to understand how well the experimental data (e.g. particle spectra, elliptic flow, and HBT radii) can constrain the inputs (e.g. initial temperature, freezeout temperature, shear viscosity, equation of state) of the theoretical model.