Initial-State Charge Density Predicts Final-State Net Charge Flow in Heavy-Ion Collisions

TL;DR

This paper introduces initial-state charge density estimators that effectively predict the final net-charge flow in heavy-ion collisions, enabling new charge-dependent probes for studying collision dynamics.

Contribution

It presents a novel class of initial-state estimators for charge flow, validated through simulations, advancing the understanding of conserved current dynamics in heavy-ion collisions.

Findings

Initial charge density predicts final net-charge flow effectively.

New charge-dependent observables enable detailed collision analysis.

Estimators are systematically improvable and validated with simulations.

Abstract

We propose a new class of charge-conjugation-odd flow observables and use them to investigate the dynamics of conserved currents in simulations of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Inspired by the success of the initial energy and momentum distributions at predicting final-state anisotropic flow, we construct systematically-improvable initial-state estimators for final net-charge flow observables, which we validate with numerical simulations. This opens the possibility of a multitude of new charge-dependent probes of heavy-ion collisions of different systems and energies.