Elliptic flow difference of charged pions in heavy-ion collisions

TL;DR

This paper explains the observed elliptic flow difference of charged pions in heavy-ion collisions using standard viscous hydrodynamics, providing an alternative to the chiral magnetic wave hypothesis.

Contribution

It shows that the STAR experimental results can be interpreted without invoking the chiral magnetic wave, using conventional hydrodynamic models.

Findings

Elliptic flow difference explained by viscous hydrodynamics

Results do not necessarily indicate chiral magnetic wave

Standard models can account for charge asymmetry effects

Abstract

Recently, the STAR collaboration at RHIC has presented experimental evidence for the correlation between the elliptic flow difference of charged pions and charge asymmetry as a possible signal of the chiral magnetic wave. We demonstrate that the STAR results can be understood within the standard viscous hydrodynamics.