Thermal photons from fluctuating initial conditions
arXiv:1106.3884 · doi:10.1088/0954-3899/38/12/124136
Abstract
Event-by-event fluctuations of initial QCD-matter density produced in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC enhance the production of thermal photons significantly in the region $2 \le p_T \le 4$ GeV/$c$ compared to a smooth initial-state averaged profile in the ideal hydrodynamic calculation. This enhancement is a an early time effect due to the presence of hotspots or over-dense regions in the fluctuating initial state. The effect of fluctuations is found to be stronger in peripheral than in central collisions.
4 pages, 3 figures. Talk given at Quark Matter 2011, 22-28 May 2011, Annecy, France