Heavy flavor dynamics across system size at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper investigates how heavy flavor suppression and flow vary with system size at the LHC, using models to interpret data and predict behaviors across different collision systems.

Contribution

It identifies the interplay of effects influencing heavy flavor observables and provides predictions for various collision systems at the LHC.

Findings

System size effects are masked in $v_2$ at 0-10\% centrality.

Eccentricities are approximately constant across system sizes at 30-50\\% centrality.

The study offers insights into the dynamics of D mesons across different collision systems.

Abstract

One of the fundamental signatures of the Quark Gluon Plasma has been the suppression of heavy flavor (specifically D mesons), which has been measured via the nuclear modification factor, $R_{AA}$ and azimuthal anisotropies, $v_n$, in large systems. However, multiple competing models can reproduce the same data for $R_{AA}$ to $v_n$. In this talk we break down the competing effects that conspire together to successfully reproduce $R_{AA}$ and $v_n$ in experimental data using Trento+v-USPhydro+DAB-MOD. Then using our best fit model we make predictions for $R_{AA}$ and $v_n$ across system size for $^{208}PbPb$, $^{129}XeXe$, $^{40}ArAr$, and $^{16}OO$ collisions. We find that 0--10\% centrality has a non-trivial interplay between the system size and eccentricities such that system size effects are masked in $v_2$ whereas in 30--50\% centrality the eccentricities are approximately constant across system size and, therefore, is a better centrality class to study D meson dynamics across system size.