Fluctuating initial conditions and fluctuations in elliptic and triangular flow

TL;DR

This paper investigates how initial state fluctuations in heavy ion collisions cause significant variations in elliptic and triangular flow, affecting their sensitivity to viscosity.

Contribution

It introduces a hydrodynamic model analyzing flow fluctuations due to initial condition variability, highlighting the differential fluctuation strengths.

Findings

Triangular flow exhibits stronger fluctuations than elliptic flow.

Flow fluctuations significantly diminish sensitivity to viscosity.

Both elliptic and triangular flows are highly sensitive to initial condition fluctuations.

Abstract

In heavy ion collisions, event-by-event fluctuations in participating nucleon positions can lead to triangular flow. With fluctuating initial conditions, flow coefficients will also fluctuate. In a hydrodynamic model, we study the fluctuations in elliptic and triangular flow, due to fluctuating initial conditions. Both elliptic and triangular flow fluctuates strongly, triangular flow more strongly than the elliptic flow. Strong fluctuations greatly reduce the sensitivity of elliptic and triangular flow to viscosity.