A Coherent View of the Quark-Gluon Plasma from Energy Correlators

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel approach using energy correlators to analyze jet substructure in quark-gluon plasma, providing insights into medium-induced effects and color coherence with detailed numerical analysis.

Contribution

It develops a new method based on energy correlators for studying jet substructure in heavy-ion collisions, incorporating advanced theoretical calculations and demonstrating its potential for probing QGP properties.

Findings

Energy correlators reveal modifications in in-medium splittings.

The spectra encode information about the onset of color coherence.

The approach can be systematically improved for more precise studies.

Abstract

The ability to measure detailed aspects of the substructure of high-energy jets traversing the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) has provided a new window into its internal dynamics. However, drawing robust conclusions from traditional jet substructure observables has been difficult. In this manuscript we expand on a new approach to jet substructure in heavy-ion collisions based on the study of correlation functions of energy flow operators (energy correlators). We compute the two-point energy correlator of an in-medium massless quark jet and perform a detailed numerical analysis of the produced spectra. Our calculation incorporates vacuum radiation resummed at next-to-leading log accuracy together with the leading order contribution in medium-induced splittings evaluated through the BDMPS-Z multiple scattering and GLV single scattering formalisms for a static brick of QGP. Our analysis demonstrates how particular features of the modifications of in-medium splittings are imprinted in the correlator spectra, particularly showing how energy correlators may be used to extract the onset of colour coherence. We further present a comprehensive discussion on the accuracy and limitations of our study emphasizing how it can be systematically improved. This work sets the foundations for a rich program studying energy correlators in heavy-ion collisions.