The QGP phase in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

TL;DR

This paper introduces the PHSD transport approach, modeling the QGP phase in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, capturing partonic to hadronic transition dynamics and reproducing key experimental observables.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel PHSD model based on DQPM aligned with lattice-QCD results, providing a comprehensive dynamical description of QGP formation and transition in heavy-ion collisions.

Findings

Partonic interactions influence elliptic flow of hadrons.

Transverse mass spectra reflect partonic phase effects.

Model reproduces experimental data across energies.

Abstract

The dynamics of partons, hadrons and strings in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions is analyzed within the novel Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics (PHSD) transport approach, which is based on a dynamical quasiparticle model for partons (DQPM) matched to reproduce recent lattice-QCD results - including the partonic equation of state - in thermodynamic equilibrium. The transition from partonic to hadronic degrees of freedom is described by covariant transition rates for the fusion of quark-antiquark pairs or three quarks (antiquarks), respectively, obeying flavor current-conservation, color neutrality as well as energy-momentum conservation. The PHSD approach is applied to nucleus-nucleus collisions from low SIS to RHIC energies. The traces of partonic interactions are found in particular in the elliptic flow of hadrons as well as in their transverse mass spectra.