Improved Comparison of Measurements and Calculations of $\hat{q}L$ via transverse momentum broadening in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions using di-hadron correlations

TL;DR

This paper revisits the comparison between theoretical calculations and experimental measurements of transverse momentum broadening in heavy ion collisions, providing corrected analysis and proposing di-jets as a better probe for $\hat{q}L$ and $\hat{q}$.

Contribution

The study offers a revised analysis of $\hat{q}L$ measurements, correcting previous discrepancies and suggesting di-jets as an improved method for probing transverse momentum broadening.

Findings

$\hat{q}L$ is consistent with zero at high $p_{Ta}$ values.

Corrected theoretical and experimental comparisons of $\hat{q}L$.

Proposed di-jets as a superior measurement tool.

Abstract

The renewed interest in analyzing RHIC data on di-hadron correlations as probes of final state transverse momentum broadening as shown at Quark Matter 2018[1] by theoretical calculations[6] compared to experimental measurements[4,5] led me to review the quoted theoretical calculations and experimental measurements because the theoretical calculation[6] does not show the PHENIX measurements[4] as published. The above references were checked and fits were performed to the published measurements[4,7] to determine $\hat{q}L$ from the measured azimuthal broadening to compare with the theoretical calculation[6]. The new results will be presented in addition to some corrections to the previous work[3]. The measured values of $\hat{q}L$ show the interesting effect of being consistent with zero for larger values of associated $p_{Ta}\geq3$ GeV/c which is shown to be related to well known measurements of the ratio of the Au+Au to p+p associated $p_{Ta}$ distributions for a given trigger $p_{Tt}$ called $I_{AA}$[23,25]. Di-jets rather than di-hadrons are proposed as an improved azimuthal broadening measurement to determine $\hat{q}L$ and possibly $\hat{q}$.