Jet Quenching via Gravitational Radiation in Thermal AdS

Abstract

We argue that classical bulk gravitational radiation effects in AdS/CFT, previously ignored because of their subleading nature in the 1/Nc-expansion, are magnified by powers of large Lorentz factors gamma for ultrarelativistic jets, thereby dominating other forms of jet energy loss in holography at finite temperature. We make use of the induced gravitational self-force in thermal AdS5 to estimate its effects. In a thermal medium, relativistic jets may loose most of their energy through longitudinal drag caused by the energy accumulated in their nearby field as they zip through the strongly coupled plasma.

12 pp 3 figs