Angle and magnitude decorrelation in the factorization breaking of collective flow

TL;DR

This paper investigates how flow angle and magnitude decorrelations contribute to factorization breaking in collective flow of heavy-ion collisions, using hydrodynamic models to predict measurable effects.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of flow angle and magnitude decorrelations and their impact on factorization breaking, supported by hydrodynamic model predictions.

Findings

Flow magnitude decorrelation is about half of the overall flow decorrelation.

Results are consistent with principal component analysis of flow vector correlators.

Hydrodynamic models can predict experimental factorization breaking coefficients.

Abstract

The collective harmonic flow in heavy-ion collisions correlates particles at all transverse momenta to be emitted preferably some directions. The factorization breaking coefficient measures the small decorrelation of the flow harmonics at two different transverse momenta. Using the hydrodynamic model I study in details the decorrelation of the harmonic flow due to the flow angle and the flow magnitude decorrelation at two transverse momenta. The effect can be seen in experiment measuring factorization breaking coefficients for the square of the harmonic flow vector at two transverse momenta. The hydrodynamic model predicts that the decorrelation of the flow magnitudes is about one half of the decorrelation of the overall flow (combining flow angle and flow magnitude decorrelations). These results are consistent with the principal component analysis of correlators of flow vectors squared.