Observable Signatures of Initial State Momentum Anisotropies in Nuclear Collisions

We show that the correlation between the elliptic momentum anisotropy v_{2} and the average transverse momentum [p_{T}] at fixed multiplicity in small system nuclear collisions carries information on the origin of the observed momentum anisotropy. A calculation using a hybrid IP-Glasma+music+UrQMD model that includes contributions from final state response to the initial geometry as well as initial state momentum anisotropies of the color glass condensate predicts a characteristic sign change of the correlator ρ[over ^](v_{2}^{2},[p_{T}]) as a function of charged particle multiplicity in p+Au and d+Au collisions at sqrt[s]=200  GeV, and p+Pb collisions at sqrt[s]=5.02  TeV. This sign change is absent in calculations without initial state momentum anisotropies. The model further predicts a qualitative difference between the centrality dependence of ρ[over ^](v_{2}^{2},[p_{T}]) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s]=200  GeV and Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s]=5.02  TeV, with only the latter showing a sign change in peripheral events. Predictions for O+O collisions at different collision energy show a similar behavior. Experimental observation of these distinct qualitative features of ρ[over ^](v_{2}^{2},[p_{T}]) in small and large systems would constitute strong evidence for the presence and importance of initial state momentum anisotropies predicted by the color glass condensate effective theory.