Lower limits for E_T and N_ch from pQCD & hydrodynamics at the central rapidity unit in central Au-Au collisions at RHIC

TL;DR

This paper investigates the minimum possible transverse energy and charged particle multiplicity in central gold-gold collisions at RHIC using perturbative QCD and hydrodynamics, considering initial minijet production, QGP evolution, and nuclear shadowing effects.

Contribution

It combines perturbative QCD and hydrodynamics to establish lower bounds on observables in heavy-ion collisions, including effects of shadowing and minijet cut-offs.

Findings

Establishes lower limits for E_T and N_ch at RHIC

Analyzes impact of minijet cut-off p_0 on results

Incorporates nuclear shadowing effects into the model

Abstract

Final state average transverse energy and charged particle multiplicity at the central rapidity unit of central Au-Au collisions at RHIC are studied within a framework of lowest order perturbative QCD and Bjorken's hydrodynamical picture. In particular, effects of initial minijet production and the $pdV$ work during the subsequent evolution of the QGP are investigated. Nuclear shadowing effects are included in a consistent manner, and the dependence of the results on the minijet transverse momentum cut-off parameter $p_0$ is shown.