Penetrating probes: Jets and photons in a non-equilibrium quark-gluon plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates how jets and photons behave in a non-equilibrium, anisotropic quark-gluon plasma, revealing suppression effects and angular dependencies that impact experimental predictions.

Contribution

It introduces new field-theoretical methods to analyze jet broadening and photon emission in anisotropic, non-equilibrium plasmas, highlighting the effects of medium interactions.

Findings

Photon emission is suppressed by coherent interactions.

Anisotropy causes angular dependence in radiation.

Overall radiation rate is reduced in anisotropic plasma.

Abstract

We employ new field-theoretical tools to study photons and jets in a non-equilibrium quark-gluon plasma. Jet broadening and photon emission takes place through radiation which is suppressed by repeated and coherent interaction with the medium. We analyze this physics in an anisotropic plasma such as is created in the early stages of heavy-ion collisions. The anisotropy introduces an angular dependence in radiation and reduces its overall rate. This can affect phenomenological predictions of the rapidity dependence and angular flow of jets and photons.