A running coupling explanation of the surprising transparency of the QGP at LHC

TL;DR

This paper introduces a running coupling approach within the CUJET model to explain the unexpected transparency of the quark-gluon plasma at LHC, aligning theoretical predictions with experimental data.

Contribution

It incorporates running coupling effects into the dynamical DGLV framework for the first time, providing a novel QCD-based explanation for QGP transparency at high energies.

Findings

Running coupling effects improve R_{AA} predictions at LHC.

Model matches experimental R_{AA} data for high p_T jets.

Provides a dynamical QCD explanation for QGP transparency.

Abstract

The CUJET Monte Carlo Jet Energy loss model is applied to predict the jet flavor, centrality and density dependence of the nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ at RHIC and LHC. Running coupling effects due to combined $x$, $k_\perp$ and $q_\perp$ evolution are included for the first time in the dynamical DGLV opacity expansion framework and are shown to provide a natural dynamical QCD tomographic solution to the surprising transparency of the quark gluon plasma produced at LHC as suggested by $p_\perp>10$ GeV $R_{AA}$ data from ALICE, ATLAS, and CMS.