Elliptic Flow from Color Glass Condensate

TL;DR

This paper proposes that a significant part of the observed elliptic flow in high-energy nuclear collisions originates from initial-stage classical gluon fields, supplementing late-stage hydrodynamic effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel initial-stage mechanism involving classical gluon fields as a source of elliptic flow in nuclear collisions.

Findings

Initial gluon fields contribute to elliptic flow.

Complementary to hydrodynamic models.

Provides a new perspective on flow origins.

Abstract

We show that an observable fraction of the measured elliptic flow may originate in classical gluon fields at the initial stage of a peripheral high-energy nuclear collision. This mechanism complements the contribution of late stage mechanisms, such as those described by hydrodynamics, to the observed elliptic flow.