# Heavy quark diffusion in a Polyakov loop plasma

## TL;DR

This paper calculates the transport coefficients of heavy quarks in a Polyakov loop plasma, incorporating non-trivial background effects, and compares results with lattice QCD to understand heavy quark behavior in high-energy collisions.

## Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive calculation of heavy quark transport coefficients in a Polyakov loop background using a PQM model and matrix model, including comparisons with lattice data.

## Key findings

- Weak temperature dependence of the drag coefficient.
- Polyakov loop effects significantly influence heavy quark diffusion.
- Results are relevant for interpreting RHIC and LHC heavy-ion collision data.

## Abstract

We calculate the transport coefficients, drag and momentum diffusion, of a heavy quark in a thermalized plasma of light quarks in the background of Polyakov loop. Quark thermal mass and the gluon Debye mass are calculated in a non-trivial Polyakov loop background. The constituent quark masses and the Polyakov loop is estimated within a Polyakov loop quark meson (PQM) model. The relevant scattering amplitudes for heavy quark and light partons in the background of Polyakov loop has been estimated within the matrix model. We have also compared the results with the Polyakov loop parameter estimated from lattice QCD simulations. We have studied the temperature and momentum dependence of heavy quark drag and diffusion coefficients. It is observed that the temperature dependence of the drag coefficient is quite weak which may play a key role to understand heavy quark observables at RHIC and LHC energies.