Heavy-quark azimuthal momentum correlations as a sensitive probe of thermalization
arXiv:0908.0427 · doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2011.03.013
Abstract
In high-energy nuclear collisions the degree of thermalization at the partonic level is a key issue. Due to their large mass, heavy quarks and their possible participation in the collective flow of the QCD-medium constitute a powerful probe for thermalization. We present studies with PYTHIA for p+p collisions at the top LHC energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 14 TeV applying the two-particle transverse momentum correlator $<Îp_{t,1}, Îp_{t,2}>$ to pairs of heavy-quark hadrons and their semi-leptonic decay products as a function of their relative azimuth. Modifications or even the complete absence of initially existing correlations in Pb+Pb collisions might indicate thermalization at the partonic level.
7 pages, 5 figs.; accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys. A