The Onset of Deconfinement in Nuclear Collisions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the onset of deconfinement in nuclear collisions, comparing theoretical mechanisms and providing quantitative predictions for charmonium suppression at RHIC energies using percolation and parton cascade models.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of deconfinement onset via parton percolation and demonstrates consistency with microscopic parton cascade models.

Findings

Predictions for charmonium suppression at RHIC energies.

Comparison of symmetry breaking and percolation as mechanisms.

Validation of models with SPS energy parameters.

Abstract

We first consider the origin of colour deconfinement, comparing in particular spontaneous symmetry breaking and percolation. Next we specify the onset of deconfinement in nuclear collisions through parton percolation, and with parameters determined at SPS energy, we give quantitative predictions for charmonium suppression at RHIC. Finally we show that the parton cascade model leads to similar predictions, starting from a microscopic description of the space-time evolution of the collision.