String percolation and the first LHC data

TL;DR

This paper applies string percolation theory to analyze LHC collision data, demonstrating good agreement with observed multiplicities and flow, and exploring the properties of the quark-gluon plasma near the critical temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a string percolation model that explains multiplicities, elliptic flow, and ridge structures in high-energy collisions, aligning well with experimental data.

Findings

String percolation matches LHC multiplicity and flow data

Long-range correlations relate to ridge structure

Shear viscosity to entropy ratio has a minimum near the critical temperature

Abstract

The results of string percolation on multiplicities and elliptic flow in AA and pp collisions are compared with LHC data showing a good agreement. We discuss the rapidity long range correlations and its relation to the height and longitudinal extension of the ridge structure. Finally we show that the dependence of the shear viscosity over entropy density ratio on the temperature, presents a minimum close to the critical temperature remaining small in the range of the RHIC and LHC energies.