J/psi production in quark-gluon plasma

Area of Science:

• High-energy nuclear physics
• Quantum chromodynamics
• Particle physics

Background:

• Understanding heavy quarkonium production in heavy-ion collisions is crucial for probing the quark-gluon plasma.
• Both initial production and in-medium regeneration influence J/psi yields and properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relative contributions of initial production and regeneration to J/psi properties at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies.
• To analyze the J/psi momentum distribution and elliptic flow within a transport model coupled with hydrodynamics.

Main Methods:

• Solving coupled transport equations for J/psi phase space distribution.
• Solving hydrodynamic equations for quark-gluon plasma evolution.
• Simulating J/psi production and interaction in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and LHC.

Main Results:

• At RHIC, regeneration significantly impacts J/psi momentum distribution, while initial production dominates elliptic flow.
• At LHC energies, J/psi dissociation is extensive, with regeneration becoming the dominant factor for J/psi properties.
• The interplay between initial production and regeneration is energy-dependent.

Conclusions:

• J/psi production mechanisms are complex and depend on collision energy and medium evolution.
• Regeneration plays a critical role in shaping J/psi observables, especially at higher energies.
• This study provides insights into the properties of the quark-gluon plasma through heavy quarkonium dynamics.