Coupling Constant Corrections in a Holographic Model of Heavy Ion Collisions

Area of Science:

• High-energy nuclear physics
• Quantum chromodynamics (QCD)
• Holographic duality

Background:

• Heavy ion collisions create quark-gluon plasma.
• Understanding coupling's role is crucial for plasma evolution.
• Previous studies often assumed strong coupling.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate coupling-dependent effects in heavy ion collisions.
• Analyze leading-order inverse coupling constant corrections.
• Examine the holographic dual of curvature-squared gravity.

Main Methods:

• Holographic renormalization group techniques.
• Numerical simulations of colliding gravitational shock waves.
• Analysis of plasma properties like stopping, energy deposition, and shear viscosity.

Main Results:

• At intermediate coupling, nuclei show reduced stopping and increased light-cone energy deposition.
• An 80% increase in shear viscosity (due to decreased coupling) delays hydrodynamic description by 25%.
• The hydrodynamic phase begins with broader rapidity distribution and lower entropy.

Conclusions:

• Inverse coupling corrections significantly alter heavy ion collision dynamics.
• Holographic models with curvature-squared terms provide insights into non-perturbative QCD.
• Results offer a more nuanced understanding of quark-gluon plasma formation and evolution.