A state-of-the-art description of the strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma using viscous relativistic hydrodynamics and the Gauge/gravity duality

• Grant number: 13/50326-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: October 01, 2013 - September 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Convênio/Acordo: Ohio State University
• Principal Investigator: Jorge José Leite Noronha Junior
• Grantee: Jorge José Leite Noronha Junior
• Principal researcher abroad: Ulrich W. Heinz
• Institution abroad: Ohio State University, Columbus, United States
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 12/14057-1 - Holographic description of the strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma, AP.R

Abstract

We propose a joint collaboration between the theory groups at OSU and USP that are closely related to the experimental heavy-ion programs at RHIC and LHC. The groups are headed by the Pl's Prof. Ulrich Heinz at OSU and Prof. Jorge Noronha at USP. The proposed collaboration also involves Prof. Frederique Grassi from USP and several younger collaborators (Dr. Andrade and Dr. Noronha-Hostler at USP and Dr. Martinez and Dr. Qiu at OSU).Both groups have during their research developed world-leading expertise in different aspects regarding the theoretical description of Little Bangs -- the explosive expansion of the QGP fireballs created in relativistic heavy- ion collisions. Prof. Noronha's research funded by FAPESP has been focused on understanding the novel properties of strongly coupled non-Abelian liquids such as the QGP using a new theoretical tool called the gauge/gravity duality (also known as holographic duality). The specific predictions for the novel properties of the strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma computed using holography will be tested using the newly developed viscous hydrodynamic code v- USPhydro, developed by Prof. Noronha, Prof. Grassi, and Dr. Noronha-Hostler (and collaborators). The OSU team led by Prof. Ulrich Heinz pioneered the development of viscous relativistic fluid dynamics (VISH2+1) and the goal of this work has been to determine, by comparison between experimental data and the theoretical model, the viscosity of the QGP using event-by-event viscous hydrodynamics. Meanwhile, other groups have in the meantime joined Prof. Heinz' group efforts and added many important improvements making this a very vibrant research field that is on the cusp of reaching true quantitative precision. The goal of this proposed collaboration will be to develop a hydro+cascade hybrid model with anisotropic early pre-equilibrium dynamics that can be used not only at LHC and high RHIC energies, but over the entire energy domain thereby enabling our groups to tap into the rich experimental data set collected during the recent RHIC Beam Energy Scan. Such a model will incorporate the state of the art theoretical tools (gauge/gravity duality and viscous relativistic hydrodynamics) to investigate the properties of the QGP. Once developed, it could provide the foundation for several years of fruitful and productive phenomenological research interpreting RHIC and LHC data. (AU)