Charge-dependent Azimuthal Correlations in Relativistic Heavy-ion Collisions and Electromagnetic Effects

TL;DR

This paper offers a qualitative explanation for charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in heavy-ion collisions, emphasizing the role of electromagnetic effects and the cluster model in the initial collision phase.

Contribution

It introduces a scenario linking electromagnetic effects and the cluster picture to observed charge-dependent correlations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

Findings

Charge-dependent correlations can be qualitatively explained by electromagnetic effects.

Strong electric fields are induced by transient magnetic fields during initial collision phases.

The cluster picture supports the observed azimuthal correlation patterns.

Abstract

We propose a scenario where the pattern of the recently observed charge-dependent azimuthal correlations can be understood qualitatively. This is based on the cluster picture and the assumption that the charged hadrons that flow outward from the surface of the overlapping region of the colliding nuclei move primarily parallel to the reaction plane. We also point out the there is a strong electric field induced by the transient magnetic field during the parton production in the initial phase of the relativistic heavy-ion collision and discuss its possible relevance to the scenario.