Showing 1–24 of 24 results for author: Loizides, C

A compendium of cold-nuclear matter baseline predictions in light-ion collisions

Authors: Florian Jonas, Constantin Loizides, Aleksas Mazeliauskas, Petja Paakkinen, Nicolas Strangmann

Abstract: The recent light-ion collision programme at RHIC and the LHC provides a unique opportunity to investigate the onset of quark-gluon plasma formation and parton energy loss in small systems. A quantitative interpretation of emerging jet quenching measurements requires precise control over cold nuclear matter (CNM) effects, which modify hard-process cross sections independently of any hot-medium dyna… ▽ More The recent light-ion collision programme at RHIC and the LHC provides a unique opportunity to investigate the onset of quark-gluon plasma formation and parton energy loss in small systems. A quantitative interpretation of emerging jet quenching measurements requires precise control over cold nuclear matter (CNM) effects, which modify hard-process cross sections independently of any hot-medium dynamics. In this work, we present a comprehensive set of perturbative QCD baseline calculations for nuclear modification factors ($R_{AA}$) in proton-oxygen (pO), oxygen-oxygen (OO) and neon-neon (NeNe) collisions at LHC energies. The study includes charged hadron, neutral pion, prompt photon, and electroweak-boson production computed at next-to-leading order using a broad set of recent nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDFs). We demonstrate that CNM effects alone can induce sizeable suppressions in light-ion systems, with large associated nPDF uncertainties that currently limit the quantitative extraction of parton energy loss. To address this limitation, we explore a range of multi-cross-section ratios in which CNM effects and their uncertainties largely cancel. In particular, ratios of neutral pion $R_{OO}$ to prompt photon $R_{OO}$ or charged hadron $R_{OO}$ to $R_{pO}^2$ provide theoretically robust observables with substantially reduced nPDF uncertainties, thereby enhancing sensitivity to possible energy-loss signatures. △ Less

Submitted 3 March, 2026; v1 submitted 17 February, 2026; originally announced February 2026.

Comments: 24 pages, 16 figures, corrected Fig 11(right) and Fig 13(right), updated the text, version submitted to journal, data available at https://github.com/fjonasALICE/pQCDLightIon

Glauber predictions for oxygen and neon collisions at energies available at the LHC

Authors: Constantin Loizides

Abstract: The Glauber model is a widely used framework for describing the initial conditions in high-energy nuclear collisions. TGlauberMC is a Monte Carlo implementation of this model that enables detailed, event-by-event calculations across various collision systems. In this work, I present an updated version of TGlauberMC (3.3), which incorporates recent theoretical developments and improved parameteriza… ▽ More The Glauber model is a widely used framework for describing the initial conditions in high-energy nuclear collisions. TGlauberMC is a Monte Carlo implementation of this model that enables detailed, event-by-event calculations across various collision systems. In this work, I present an updated version of TGlauberMC (3.3), which incorporates recent theoretical developments and improved parameterizations, especially relevant for small collision systems. I focus on the oxygen-oxygen (OO), neon-neon (NeNe), and proton-oxygen (pO) collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in July 2025, where precise modelling of nuclear geometry and fluctuations is essential. The updated version includes revised nuclear density profiles and an enhanced treatment of nucleon substructure. Geometrical cross sections for all relevant collision systems are calculated and initial-state observables are explored to provide predictions for particle production trends at $\sqrt{s_{\rm nn}}$=5.36 TeV. In particular, a prediction for the centrality dependence of mid-rapidity multiplicity in OO and NeNe collisions is obtained. The updated code is publicly available to support the heavy-ion community with a robust and flexible tool for studying strongly interacting matter in small and intermediate-sized nuclear systems. △ Less

Submitted 3 February, 2026; v1 submitted 8 July, 2025; originally announced July 2025.

Comments: 40 pages, 17 captioned figures, 6 tables, the source code for TGlauberMC (version 3.3.2) is available at https://tglaubermc.hepforge.org/downloads/

Journal ref: Phys.Rev.C 113 (2026) 1, 014914

Hot QCD White Paper

Authors: M. Arslandok, S. A. Bass, A. A. Baty, I. Bautista, C. Beattie, F. Becattini, R. Bellwied, Y. Berdnikov, A. Berdnikov, J. Bielcik, J. T. Blair, F. Bock, B. Boimska, H. Bossi, H. Caines, Y. Chen, Y. -T. Chien, M. Chiu, M. E. Connors, M. Csanád, C. L. da Silva, A. P. Dash, G. David, K. Dehmelt, V. Dexheimer , et al. (149 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Hot QCD physics studies the nuclear strong force under extreme temperature and densities. Experimentally these conditions are achieved via high-energy collisions of heavy ions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In the past decade, a unique and substantial suite of data was collected at RHIC and the LHC, probing hydrodynamics at the nucleon scale, the… ▽ More Hot QCD physics studies the nuclear strong force under extreme temperature and densities. Experimentally these conditions are achieved via high-energy collisions of heavy ions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In the past decade, a unique and substantial suite of data was collected at RHIC and the LHC, probing hydrodynamics at the nucleon scale, the temperature dependence of the transport properties of quark-gluon plasma, the phase diagram of nuclear matter, the interaction of quarks and gluons at different scales and much more. This document, as part of the 2023 nuclear science long range planning process, was written to review the progress in hot QCD since the 2015 Long Range Plan for Nuclear Science, as well as highlight the realization of previous recommendations, and present opportunities for the next decade, building on the accomplishments and investments made in theoretical developments and the construction of new detectors. Furthermore, this document provides additional context to support the recommendations voted on at the Joint Hot and Cold QCD Town Hall Meeting, which are reported in a separate document. △ Less

Submitted 30 March, 2023; originally announced March 2023.

Comments: 190 pages, 69 figures

The Present and Future of QCD

Authors: P. Achenbach, D. Adhikari, A. Afanasev, F. Afzal, C. A. Aidala, A. Al-bataineh, D. K. Almaalol, M. Amaryan, D. Androić, W. R. Armstrong, M. Arratia, J. Arrington, A. Asaturyan, E. C. Aschenauer, H. Atac, H. Avakian, T. Averett, C. Ayerbe Gayoso, X. Bai, K. N. Barish, N. Barnea, G. Basar, M. Battaglieri, A. A. Baty, I. Bautista , et al. (378 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: This White Paper presents the community inputs and scientific conclusions from the Hot and Cold QCD Town Meeting that took place September 23-25, 2022 at MIT, as part of the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) 2023 Long Range Planning process. A total of 424 physicists registered for the meeting. The meeting highlighted progress in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) nuclear physics since the 2015… ▽ More This White Paper presents the community inputs and scientific conclusions from the Hot and Cold QCD Town Meeting that took place September 23-25, 2022 at MIT, as part of the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) 2023 Long Range Planning process. A total of 424 physicists registered for the meeting. The meeting highlighted progress in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) nuclear physics since the 2015 LRP (LRP15) and identified key questions and plausible paths to obtaining answers to those questions, defining priorities for our research over the coming decade. In defining the priority of outstanding physics opportunities for the future, both prospects for the short (~ 5 years) and longer term (5-10 years and beyond) are identified together with the facilities, personnel and other resources needed to maximize the discovery potential and maintain United States leadership in QCD physics worldwide. This White Paper is organized as follows: In the Executive Summary, we detail the Recommendations and Initiatives that were presented and discussed at the Town Meeting, and their supporting rationales. Section 2 highlights major progress and accomplishments of the past seven years. It is followed, in Section 3, by an overview of the physics opportunities for the immediate future, and in relation with the next QCD frontier: the EIC. Section 4 provides an overview of the physics motivations and goals associated with the EIC. Section 5 is devoted to the workforce development and support of diversity, equity and inclusion. This is followed by a dedicated section on computing in Section 6. Section 7 describes the national need for nuclear data science and the relevance to QCD research. △ Less

Submitted 4 March, 2023; originally announced March 2023.

Comments: QCD Town Meeting White Paper, as submitted to 2023 NSAC LRP committee on Feb. 28, 2023

Journal ref: Nucl.Phys.A 1047 (2024) 122874

Imaging the initial condition of heavy-ion collisions and nuclear structure across the nuclide chart

Authors: Jiangyong Jia, Giuliano Giacalone, Benjamin Bally, James Daniel Brandenburg, Ulrich Heinz, Shengli Huang, Dean Lee, Yen-Jie Lee, Wei Li, Constantin Loizides, Matthew Luzum, Govert Nijs, Jacquelyn Noronha-Hostler, Mateusz Ploskon, Wilke van der Schee, Bjoern Schenke, Chun Shen, Vittorio Somà, Anthony Timmins, Zhangbu Xu, You Zhou

Abstract: High-energy nuclear collisions encompass three key stages: the structure of the colliding nuclei informed by low-energy nuclear physics, the initial condition (IC) leading to the formation of quark-gluon plasma (QGP), and the hydrodynamic expansion and hadronization of the QGP leading to final-state hadrons observed experimentally. Recent advances in experimental and theoretical methods have usher… ▽ More High-energy nuclear collisions encompass three key stages: the structure of the colliding nuclei informed by low-energy nuclear physics, the initial condition (IC) leading to the formation of quark-gluon plasma (QGP), and the hydrodynamic expansion and hadronization of the QGP leading to final-state hadrons observed experimentally. Recent advances in experimental and theoretical methods have ushered in a precision era, enabling an increasingly accurate understanding of these stages. However, most approaches involve simultaneously determining both QGP properties and initial conditions from a single collision system, creating complexity due to the coupled contributions of various stages to the final-state observables. To avoid this, we propose leveraging known knowledge of low-energy nuclear structure and hydrodynamic observables to constrain the IC independently. By conducting comparative studies of collisions involving isobar-like nuclei - species with similar mass numbers but different structures - we disentangle the initial condition's impacts from the QGP properties. This approach not only refines our understanding of the IC but also turns high-energy experiments into a precision tool for imaging nuclear structures, offering insights that complement traditional low-energy approaches. Opportunities for carrying out such comparative experiments at the LHC and other facilities could significantly advance both high-energy and low-energy nuclear physics. Additionally, this approach has implications for the future EIC. While the possibilities are extensive, we focus on selected proposals that could benefit both the high-energy and low-energy nuclear physics communities. Originally prepared as input for the long-range plan of U.S. nuclear physics, this white paper reflects the status as of September 2022, with a brief update on developments since then. △ Less

Submitted 13 December, 2024; v1 submitted 22 September, 2022; originally announced September 2022.

Comments: 25 pages, 6 figures, include a brief update on progress since Oct 2022

Journal ref: NUCL SCI TECH 35, 220 (2024)

Search for $e\toτ$ Charged Lepton Flavor Violation at the EIC with the ECCE Detector

Authors: J. -L. Zhang, S. Mantry, J. K. Adkins, Y. Akiba, A. Albataineh, M. Amaryan, I. C. Arsene, C. Ayerbe Gayoso, J. Bae, X. Bai, M. D. Baker, M. Bashkanov, R. Bellwied, F. Benmokhtar, V. Berdnikov, J. C. Bernauer, F. Bock, W. Boeglin, M. Borysova, E. Brash, P. Brindza, W. J. Briscoe, M. Brooks, S. Bueltmann, M. H. S. Bukhari , et al. (262 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The recently approved Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) will provide a unique new opportunity for searches of charged lepton flavor violation (CLFV) and other new physics scenarios. In contrast to the $e \leftrightarrow μ$ CLFV transition for which very stringent limits exist, there is still a relatively large discovery space for the $e \to τ$ CLFV transition, potentially to be explored by the EIC. With… ▽ More The recently approved Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) will provide a unique new opportunity for searches of charged lepton flavor violation (CLFV) and other new physics scenarios. In contrast to the $e \leftrightarrow μ$ CLFV transition for which very stringent limits exist, there is still a relatively large discovery space for the $e \to τ$ CLFV transition, potentially to be explored by the EIC. With the latest detector design of ECCE (EIC Comprehensive Chromodynamics Experiment) and projected integral luminosity of the EIC, we find the $τ$-leptons created in the DIS process $ep\to τX$ are expected to be identified with high efficiency. A first ECCE simulation study, restricted to the 3-prong $τ$-decay mode and with limited statistics for the Standard Model backgrounds, estimates that the EIC will be able to improve the current exclusion limit on $e\to τ$ CLFV by an order of magnitude. △ Less

Submitted 20 July, 2022; originally announced July 2022.

Comments: 11 pages, 8 figures, to be submitted to NIM

Snowmass 2021 whitepaper: Proton structure at the precision frontier

Authors: S. Amoroso, A. Apyan, N. Armesto, R. D. Ball, V. Bertone, C. Bissolotti, J. Bluemlein, R. Boughezal, G. Bozzi, D. Britzger, A. Buckley, A. Candido, S. Carrazza, F. G. Celiberto, S. Cerci, G. Chachamis, A. M. Cooper-Sarkar, A. Courtoy, T. Cridge, J. M. Cruz-Martinez, F. Giuli, M. Guzzi, C. Gwenlan, L. A. Harland-Lang, F. Hekhorn , et al. (32 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: An overwhelming number of theoretical predictions for hadron colliders require parton distribution functions (PDFs), which are an important ingredient of theory infrastructure for the next generation of high-energy experiments. This whitepaper summarizes the status and future prospects for determination of high-precision PDFs applicable in a wide range of energies and experiments, in particular in… ▽ More An overwhelming number of theoretical predictions for hadron colliders require parton distribution functions (PDFs), which are an important ingredient of theory infrastructure for the next generation of high-energy experiments. This whitepaper summarizes the status and future prospects for determination of high-precision PDFs applicable in a wide range of energies and experiments, in particular in precision tests of the Standard Model and in new physics searches at the high-luminosity Large Hadron Collider and Electron-Ion Collider. We discuss the envisioned advancements in experimental measurements, QCD theory, global analysis methodology, and computing that are necessary to bring unpolarized PDFs in the nucleon to the N2LO and N3LO accuracy in the QCD coupling strength. Special attention is given to the new tasks that emerge in the era of the precision PDF analysis, such as those focusing on the robust control of systematic factors both in experimental measurements and theoretical computations. Various synergies between experimental and theoretical studies of the hadron structure are explored, including opportunities for studying PDFs for nuclear and meson targets, PDFs with electroweak contributions or dependence on the transverse momentum, for incisive comparisons between phenomenological models for the PDFs and computations on discrete lattice, and for cross-fertilization with machine learning/AI approaches. [Submitted to the US Community Study on the Future of Particle Physics (Snowmass 2021).] △ Less

Submitted 5 April, 2023; v1 submitted 25 March, 2022; originally announced March 2022.

Comments: 83 pages, 27 figures, contribution to Snowmass 2021; v.3: journal version

Report number: Edinburgh 2022/08, FERMILAB-PUB-22-222-QIS-SCD-T, MPP-2022-32, SLAC-PUB-17652, SMU-HEP-22-02, TIF-UNIMI-2022-6

Journal ref: Acta Phys.Polon.B 53 (2022) 12, A1

White Paper on Forward Physics, BFKL, Saturation Physics and Diffraction

Authors: Martin Hentschinski, Christophe Royon, Marco Alcazar Peredo, Cristian Baldenegro, Andrea Bellora, Renaud Boussarie, Francesco Giovanni Celiberto, Salim Cerci, Grigorios Chachamis, J. G. Contreras, Sylvain Fichet, Michael Fucilla, Gero von Gersdorff, Pablo González, Andreas van Hameren, Jamal Jalilian-Marian, Mats Kampshoff, Valery Khoze, Michael Klasen, Spencer Robert Klein, Georgios Krintiras, Piotr Kotko, Krzysztof Kutak, Jean-Philippe Lansberg, Emilie Li , et al. (17 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The goal of this whitepaper is to give a comprehensive overview of the rich field of forward physics. We discuss the occurrences of BFKL resummation effects in special final states, such as Mueller-Navelet jets, jet gap jets, and heavy quarkonium production. It further addresses TMD factorization at low x and the manifestation of a semi-hard saturation scale in (generalized) TMD PDFs. More theoret… ▽ More The goal of this whitepaper is to give a comprehensive overview of the rich field of forward physics. We discuss the occurrences of BFKL resummation effects in special final states, such as Mueller-Navelet jets, jet gap jets, and heavy quarkonium production. It further addresses TMD factorization at low x and the manifestation of a semi-hard saturation scale in (generalized) TMD PDFs. More theoretical aspects of low x physics, probes of the quark gluon plasma, as well as the possibility to use photon-hadron collisions at the LHC to constrain hadronic structure at low x, and the resulting complementarity between LHC and the EIC are also presented. We also briefly discuss diffraction at colliders as well as the possibility to explore further the electroweak theory in central exclusive events using the LHC as a photon-photon collider. △ Less

Submitted 30 March, 2022; v1 submitted 15 March, 2022; originally announced March 2022.

Comments: 77 pages, 27 figures, contribution to Snowmass 2021; contributions updated and authors added

Apparent strangeness enhancement from multiplicity selection in high energy proton-proton collisions

Authors: Constantin Loizides, Andreas Morsch

Abstract: The increase of strange-particle yields relative to pions versus charged-particle multiplicity in proton-proton (pp) collisions at the LHC is usually described by microscopic or hydrodynamical models as a result of the increasing density of produced partons or strings and their interactions. Instead, we consider the multiple partonic interaction (MPI) picture originally developed in the context of… ▽ More The increase of strange-particle yields relative to pions versus charged-particle multiplicity in proton-proton (pp) collisions at the LHC is usually described by microscopic or hydrodynamical models as a result of the increasing density of produced partons or strings and their interactions. Instead, we consider the multiple partonic interaction (MPI) picture originally developed in the context of the PYTHIA event generator. We find that strangeness enhancement in PYTHIA is hidden by a large excess of low-$p_{\rm T}$ multi-strange baryons, which mainly results from the hadronization of $u$-quark, $d$-quark and gluon ($udg$) strings. Strange baryons produced in strings formed from parton showers initiated by strange quarks ($s$-fragmentation), however, describe well the spectral shapes of $Ξ$ and $Ω$ baryons and their multiplicity dependence. Since the total particle yield contains contributions from soft and hard particle production, which cannot be experimentally separated, we argue that the correct description of the $p_{\rm T}$-spectra is a minimum requirement for meaningful comparisons of multiplicity dependent yield measurements to MPI based calculations. We demonstrate that the $s$-fragmentation component describes the increase of average $p_{\rm T}$ and yields with multiplicity seen in the data, including the approximate multiplicity scaling for different collision energies. When restricted to processes that reproduce the measured $p_{\rm T}$-spectra, the MPI framework exhibits a smooth evolution from strictly proportional multiplicity scaling ($K_{\rm S}^0$, $Λ$, where the $udg$-hadronization component dominates) to linearity ($s$-fragmentation) and on to increasingly non-linear behavior ($c$-, $b$-quark and high-$p_{\rm T}$ jet fragmentation), hence providing a unified approach for particle production in pp collisions. △ Less

Submitted 11 September, 2021; originally announced September 2021.

Comments: 23 pages, 10 captioned figures; the arXiv version contains appendix A with additional figures and appendix B with results on rope hadronization provided by PYTHIA 8.306

Centrality dependence of electroweak boson production in PbPb collisions at the LHC

Authors: Florian Jonas, Constantin Loizides

Abstract: Recent data on the nuclear modification of W and Z boson production measured by the ATLAS collaboration in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm nn}}=5.02$ TeV show an enhancement in peripheral collisions, seemingly contradicting predictions of the Glauber model. The data were previously explained by arguing that the nucleon-nucleon cross section may be shadowed in nucleus-nucleus collisions, and hence… ▽ More Recent data on the nuclear modification of W and Z boson production measured by the ATLAS collaboration in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm nn}}=5.02$ TeV show an enhancement in peripheral collisions, seemingly contradicting predictions of the Glauber model. The data were previously explained by arguing that the nucleon-nucleon cross section may be shadowed in nucleus-nucleus collisions, and hence suppressed compared to the proton-proton cross section at the same collision energy. This interpretation has quite significant consequences for the understanding of heavy-ion data, in particular in the context of the Glauber model. Instead, we provide an alternative explanation of the data by assuming that there is a mild bias present in the centrality determination of the measurement; on the size of the related systematic uncertainty. Using this assumption, we show that the data is in agreement with theoretical calculations using nuclear parton distribution functions. Finally, we speculate that the centrality dependence of the W$^-$/W$^{+}$ ratio may point to the relevance of a larger skin thickness of the Pb nucleus, which, if present, would result in a few percent larger PbPb cross section than currently accounted for in the Glauber model and may hence be the root of the centrality bias. △ Less

Submitted 30 April, 2021; originally announced April 2021.

Comments: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, comments welcome

Progress in the Glauber model at collider energies

Authors: David d'Enterria, Constantin Loizides

Abstract: We review the theoretical and experimental progress in the Glauber model of multiple nucleon and/or parton scatterings, after the last 10--15 years of operation with proton and nuclear beams at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and with various light and heavy colliding ions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The main developments and the state-of-the-art of the field are summar… ▽ More We review the theoretical and experimental progress in the Glauber model of multiple nucleon and/or parton scatterings, after the last 10--15 years of operation with proton and nuclear beams at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and with various light and heavy colliding ions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The main developments and the state-of-the-art of the field are summarized. These encompass measurements of the inclusive inelastic proton and nuclear cross sections, advances in the description of the proton and nuclear density profiles and their fluctuations, inclusion of subnucleonic degrees of freedom, experimental procedures and issues related to the determination of the collision centrality, validation of the binary scaling prescription for hard scattering cross sections, and constraints on transport properties of quark-gluon matter from varying initial-state conditions in relativistic hydrodynamics calculations. These advances confirm the validity and usefulness of the Glauber formalism for quantitative studies of QCD matter produced in high-energy collisions of systems, from protons to uranium nuclei, of vastly different size. △ Less

Submitted 20 December, 2020; v1 submitted 26 November, 2020; originally announced November 2020.

Comments: 37 pages; 14 figures. Invited report for 'Annual Review Nucl. & Part. Science'. (Minor text modifications. 1 figure updated. Appendix and refs. added)

Journal ref: Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science 71:315-44 (2021)

New opportunities at the photon energy frontier

Authors: Jaroslav Adam, Christine Aidala, Aaron Angerami, Benjamin Audurier, Carlos Bertulani, Christian Bierlich, Boris Blok, James Daniel Brandenburg, Stanley Brodsky, Aleksandr Bylinkin, Veronica Canoa Roman, Francesco Giovanni Celiberto, Jan Cepila, Grigorios Chachamis, Brian Cole, Guillermo Contreras, David d'Enterria, Adrian Dumitru, Arturo Fernández Téllez, Leonid Frankfurt, Maria Beatriz Gay Ducati, Frank Geurts, Gustavo Gil da Silveira, Francesco Giuli, Victor P. Goncalves , et al. (50 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Ultra-peripheral collisions (UPCs) involving heavy ions and protons are the energy frontier for photon-mediated interactions. UPC photons can be used for many purposes, including probing low-$x$ gluons via photoproduction of dijets and vector mesons, probes of beyond-standard-model processes, such as those enabled by light-by-light scattering, and studies of two-photon production of the Higgs. Ultra-peripheral collisions (UPCs) involving heavy ions and protons are the energy frontier for photon-mediated interactions. UPC photons can be used for many purposes, including probing low-$x$ gluons via photoproduction of dijets and vector mesons, probes of beyond-standard-model processes, such as those enabled by light-by-light scattering, and studies of two-photon production of the Higgs. △ Less

Submitted 8 September, 2020; originally announced September 2020.

Comments: Letter of Interest submitted to Snowmass 2021

Future physics opportunities for high-density QCD at the LHC with heavy-ion and proton beams

Authors: Z. Citron, A. Dainese, J. F. Grosse-Oetringhaus, J. M. Jowett, Y. -J. Lee, U. A. Wiedemann, M. Winn, A. Andronic, F. Bellini, E. Bruna, E. Chapon, H. Dembinski, D. d'Enterria, I. Grabowska-Bold, G. M. Innocenti, C. Loizides, S. Mohapatra, C. A. Salgado, M. Verweij, M. Weber, J. Aichelin, A. Angerami, L. Apolinario, F. Arleo, N. Armesto , et al. (160 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The future opportunities for high-density QCD studies with ion and proton beams at the LHC are presented. Four major scientific goals are identified: the characterisation of the macroscopic long wavelength Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) properties with unprecedented precision, the investigation of the microscopic parton dynamics underlying QGP properties, the development of a unified picture of particle… ▽ More The future opportunities for high-density QCD studies with ion and proton beams at the LHC are presented. Four major scientific goals are identified: the characterisation of the macroscopic long wavelength Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) properties with unprecedented precision, the investigation of the microscopic parton dynamics underlying QGP properties, the development of a unified picture of particle production and QCD dynamics from small (pp) to large (nucleus--nucleus) systems, the exploration of parton densities in nuclei in a broad ($x$, $Q^2$) kinematic range and the search for the possible onset of parton saturation. In order to address these scientific goals, high-luminosity Pb-Pb and p-Pb programmes are considered as priorities for Runs 3 and 4, complemented by high-multiplicity studies in pp collisions and a short run with oxygen ions. High-luminosity runs with intermediate-mass nuclei, for example Ar or Kr, are considered as an appealing case for extending the heavy-ion programme at the LHC beyond Run 4. The potential of the High-Energy LHC to probe QCD matter with newly-available observables, at twice larger center-of-mass energies than the LHC, is investigated. △ Less

Submitted 25 February, 2019; v1 submitted 17 December, 2018; originally announced December 2018.

Comments: 209 pages; Report from Working Group 5 of the Workshop on the Physics of the CERN HL-LHC, and Perspectives at the HE-LHC (v2: Minor updates to text and figures. Added one author.)

Report number: CERN-LPCC-2018-07

Final-state interactions of the Higgs boson in quark-gluon matter

Authors: David d'Enterria, Constantin Loizides

Abstract: In the first version of this paper \cite{dEnterria:2018bqi}, we presented a study of the final-state interactions of the Higgs boson in the hot and dense quark-gluon systems produced in pp, pPb, and PbPb collisions at CERN LHC and FCC energies. By computing the leading-order diagrams of the Higgs-parton scattering cross sections in perturbative QCD, and by embedding the produced Higgs bosons in an… ▽ More In the first version of this paper \cite{dEnterria:2018bqi}, we presented a study of the final-state interactions of the Higgs boson in the hot and dense quark-gluon systems produced in pp, pPb, and PbPb collisions at CERN LHC and FCC energies. By computing the leading-order diagrams of the Higgs-parton scattering cross sections in perturbative QCD, and by embedding the produced Higgs bosons in an expanding quark-gluon medium modeled with 2D+1 viscous hydrodynamics with various QCD equations of state, we presented estimates of the expected scalar boson yields as functions of transverse momentum $p_{\rm T}^{H}$, and produced medium space-time size. A moderate suppression of the scalar boson yields was predicted due to medium-enhanced $H\to gg,q\bar{q}$ decays, in detriment of the $H\toγγ, 4\ell$ channels that are typically used to observe the Higgs particle. After our work appeared, J. Ghiglieri and U. Wiedemann \cite{Ghiglieri:2019lzz} have presented thermal-field-theory calculations that indicate that the $H\to gg,q\bar{q}$ partial decays widths remain basically unaffected by interactions with surrounding partons in the kinematic range of relevance of our study. Such a theoretical result, in contradiction with our estimates, has brought us to revisit our calculations and to realize of the quantitative importance of thermal virtual corrections, neglected in our first work, that are as large as the real ones and of opposite sign. Such virtual corrections significantly reduce the Higgs-parton "absorption" cross sections originally computed in Ref. \cite{dEnterria:2018bqi}, and make the Higgs boson suppression negligible in the kinematic regime considered. △ Less

Submitted 2 March, 2020; v1 submitted 18 September, 2018; originally announced September 2018.

Comments: Paper withdrawn for the reasons explained above

Improved Monte Carlo Glauber predictions at present and future nuclear colliders

Authors: Constantin Loizides, Jason Kamin, David d'Enterria

Abstract: We present the results of an improved Monte Carlo Glauber (MCG) model of relevance for collisions involving nuclei at center-of-mass energies of BNL RHIC ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=0.2$ TeV), CERN LHC ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76$-$8.8$ TeV), and proposed future hadron colliders ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}\approx 10$-$63$ TeV). The inelastic pp cross sections as a function of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ are obtained from a… ▽ More We present the results of an improved Monte Carlo Glauber (MCG) model of relevance for collisions involving nuclei at center-of-mass energies of BNL RHIC ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=0.2$ TeV), CERN LHC ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76$-$8.8$ TeV), and proposed future hadron colliders ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}\approx 10$-$63$ TeV). The inelastic pp cross sections as a function of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ are obtained from a precise data-driven parametrization that exploits the many available measurements at LHC collision energies. We describe the nuclear transverse profile with two separated 2-parameter Fermi distributions for protons and neutrons to account for their different densities close to the nuclear periphery. Furthermore, we model the nucleon degrees of freedom inside the nucleus through a lattice with a minimum nodal separation, combined with a "recentering and reweighting" procedure, that overcomes some limitations of previous MCG approaches. The nuclear overlap function, number of participant nucleons and binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, participant eccentricity and triangularity, overlap area and average path length are presented in intervals of percentile centrality for lead-lead (PbPb) and proton-lead (pPb) collisions at all collision energies. We demonstrate for collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV that the central values of the Glauber quantities change by up to 7%, in a few bins of reaction centrality, due to the improvements implemented, though typically remain within the previously assigned systematic uncertainties, while their associated uncertainties are generally smaller (mostly below 5%) at all centralities than for earlier calculations. Tables for all quantities versus centrality at present and foreseen collision energies involving Pb nuclei, as well as for collisions of XeXe at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.44$, and AuAu and CuCu at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=0.2$ TeV, are provided. △ Less

Submitted 15 February, 2019; v1 submitted 19 October, 2017; originally announced October 2017.

Comments: 23 pages, 20 captioned figures, 21 tables, changes wrt v2 are the correct overlap areas provided in tables of app A, published in the erratum; the source code for TGlauberMC (version 3.2) is available at http://tglaubermc.hepforge.org/

Journal ref: Phys.Rev. C97 (2018) 054910; Erratum: Phys.Rev. C99 (2019) 019901

Applicability of transverse mass scaling in hadronic collisions at the LHC

Authors: Lucas Altenkämper, Friederike Bock, Constantin Loizides, Nicolas Schmidt

Abstract: We present a study on the applicability of transverse mass scaling for identified particle spectra in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV based on data taken by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The measured yields are parametrized and compared to estimates obtained from a generalized transverse mass scaling approach applied to different reference particle spectra. It is found that general… ▽ More We present a study on the applicability of transverse mass scaling for identified particle spectra in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV based on data taken by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The measured yields are parametrized and compared to estimates obtained from a generalized transverse mass scaling approach applied to different reference particle spectra. It is found that generalized transverse mass scaling is not able to describe the measured spectra over the full range in transverse momentum. At low $p_{\rm T}$, deviations of $20$% or more are obtained, in particular if pions are used as reference particles. A better scaling performance is obtained, when kaons are used as reference particles. At high $p_{\rm T}$ all tested spectra with the possible exception of the charged kaons exhibit a scaling behavior. Investigating the feed-down contributions from resonance decays to the charged pion yields reveals, that using them as reference a general scaling may not be achievable. Our findings imply that for precision measurements of direct photon and di-electron spectra at low transverse momentum one should measure the relevant hadronic background, instead of relying on $m_{\rm T}$ scaling for its estimate. △ Less

Submitted 2 July, 2020; v1 submitted 5 October, 2017; originally announced October 2017.

Comments: 10 pages, 12 captioned figures, 2 tables; v3 corrects an error in the fit parameters for $η$/$π^0$ and $ρ^0/π^{\pm}$ given in table 1

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. C 96 (2017) 064907

Impact of residual contamination on inclusive and direct photon flow

Authors: F. Bock, C. Loizides, T. Peitzmann, M. Sas

Abstract: Direct photon flow is measured by subtracting the contribution of decay photon flow from the measured inclusive photon flow via the double ratio $R_{\rm γ}$, which defines the excess of direct over decay photons. The inclusive photon sample is affected by a modest contamination from different background sources, which is often ignored in measurements. However, due to the sensitivity of the direct… ▽ More Direct photon flow is measured by subtracting the contribution of decay photon flow from the measured inclusive photon flow via the double ratio $R_{\rm γ}$, which defines the excess of direct over decay photons. The inclusive photon sample is affected by a modest contamination from different background sources, which is often ignored in measurements. However, due to the sensitivity of the direct photon measurement even a residual contamination may significantly bias the extracted direct photon flow. In particular, for measurements using photon conversions, which are very powerful at low transverse momentum, these effects can be substantial. Assuming three different types of correlated background contributions we demonstrate using the Therminator2 event generator that the impact of the contamination on the magnitude of direct photon flow can be on the level of $50\%$, even if the purity of the inclusive photon sample is about $97\%$. Future measurements should attempt to account for the contamination by measuring the background contributions and subtracting them from the inclusive photon flow. △ Less

Submitted 20 June, 2016; originally announced June 2016.

Comments: 13 pages, 5 captioned figures

Journal ref: J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 44 (2017) 025106

Thoughts on heavy-ion physics in the high luminosity era: the soft sector

Authors: Federico Antinori, Francesco Becattini, Peter Braun-Munzinger, Tatsuya Chujo, Hideki Hamagaki, John Harris, Ulrich Heinz, Boris Hippolyte, Tetsufumi Hirano, Barbara Jacak, Dmitri Kharzeev, Constantin Loizides, Silvia Masciocchi, Alexander Milov, Andreas Morsch, Berndt Müller, Jamie Nagle, Jean-Yves Ollitrault, Guy Paic, Krishna Rajagopal, Gunther Roland, Jürgen Schukraft, Yves Schutz, Raimond Snellings, Johanna Stachel , et al. (6 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: This document summarizes thoughts on opportunities in the soft-QCD sector from high-energy nuclear collisions at high luminosities. This document summarizes thoughts on opportunities in the soft-QCD sector from high-energy nuclear collisions at high luminosities. △ Less

Submitted 12 April, 2016; originally announced April 2016.

Comments: 19 pages

Report number: CERN-TH-2016-086 CERN-TH-2016-065

Thoughts on opportunities from high-energy nuclear collisions

Authors: Federico Antinori, Nestor Armesto, Paolo Bartalini, Rene Bellwied, Peter Braun-Munzinger, Brian Cole, Andrea Dainese, Marek Gazdzicki, Paolo Giubellino, John Harris, Ulrich Heinz, Barbara Jacak, Peter Jacobs, Dmitri Kharzeev, Constantin Loizides, Silvia Masciocchi, Andreas Morsch, Berndt Mueller, Jamie Nagle, Guy Paic, Krishna Rajagopal, Gunther Roland, Karel Safarik, Jurgen Schukraft, Yves Schutz , et al. (6 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: This document summarizes thoughts on opportunities from high-energy nuclear collisions. This document summarizes thoughts on opportunities from high-energy nuclear collisions. △ Less

Submitted 10 September, 2014; originally announced September 2014.

Comments: 10 pages, pdf

Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC - Last Call for Predictions

Authors: S. Abreu, S. V. Akkelin, J. Alam, J. L. Albacete, A. Andronic, D. Antonov, F. Arleo, N. Armesto, I. C. Arsene, G. G. Barnafoldi, J. Barrette, B. Bauchle, F. Becattini, B. Betz, M. Bleicher, M. Bluhm, D. Boer, F. W. Bopp, P. Braun-Munzinger, L. Bravina, W. Busza, M. Cacciari, A. Capella, J. Casalderrey-Solana, R. Chatterjee , et al. (142 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: This writeup is a compilation of the predictions for the forthcoming Heavy Ion Program at the Large Hadron Collider, as presented at the CERN Theory Institute 'Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC - Last Call for Predictions', held from May 14th to June 10th 2007. This writeup is a compilation of the predictions for the forthcoming Heavy Ion Program at the Large Hadron Collider, as presented at the CERN Theory Institute 'Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC - Last Call for Predictions', held from May 14th to June 10th 2007. △ Less

Submitted 6 November, 2007; originally announced November 2007.

Comments: LaTeX, 185 pages, uses iop styles; writeup of the CERN Theory Institute 'Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC - Last Call for Predictions', held from May 14th to June 10th 2007

Journal ref: J.Phys.G35:054001,2008

High transverse momentum suppression and surface effects in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions within the PQM model

Authors: Constantin Loizides

Abstract: We study parton suppression effects in heavy-ion collisions within the Parton Quenching Model (PQM). After a brief summary of the main features of the model, we present comparisons of calculations for the nuclear modification and the away-side suppression factor to data in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at 200 GeV. We discuss properties of light hadron probes and their sensitivity to the medium dens… ▽ More We study parton suppression effects in heavy-ion collisions within the Parton Quenching Model (PQM). After a brief summary of the main features of the model, we present comparisons of calculations for the nuclear modification and the away-side suppression factor to data in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at 200 GeV. We discuss properties of light hadron probes and their sensitivity to the medium density within the PQM Monte Carlo framework. △ Less

Submitted 29 September, 2006; v1 submitted 11 August, 2006; originally announced August 2006.

Comments: Comments: 6 pages, 8 figures. To appear in the proceedings of Hot Quarks 2006: Workshop for Young Scientists on the Physics of Ultrarelativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, Villasimius, Italy, 15-20 May 2006

Journal ref: Eur.Phys.J.C49:339-345,2007

Leading-particle suppression and surface emission in nucleus-nucleus collisions

Authors: Andrea Dainese, Constantin Loizides, Guy Paic

Abstract: After a short summary of the predictions of the Parton Quenching Model (PQM) for the nuclear modification factor and its centrality dependence in Au-Au collisions at RHIC, we concentrate on back-to-back jet-like correlations at high transverse momentum. We illustrate how this probe is biased by the surface effect. After a short summary of the predictions of the Parton Quenching Model (PQM) for the nuclear modification factor and its centrality dependence in Au-Au collisions at RHIC, we concentrate on back-to-back jet-like correlations at high transverse momentum. We illustrate how this probe is biased by the surface effect. △ Less

Submitted 29 January, 2006; v1 submitted 4 November, 2005; originally announced November 2005.

Comments: 4 pages, 3 figures, proceeding of poster presented at Quark Matter 2005, Budapest, Hungary, Aug 2005

Journal ref: Acta Phys.Hung. A27 (2006) 245-249

Jet correlation measurement in heavy-ion collisions: from RHIC to LHC

Authors: C. Loizides

Abstract: We attempt to deduce simple options of `jet quenching' phenomena in heavy-ion collisions at $\snn=5.5 \tev$ at the LHC from the present knowledge of leading-hadron suppression at RHIC energies. In light of the nuclear modification factor for leading particles we introduce the nuclear modification factor for jets, $\RAA^{jet}$, and for the longitudinal momenta of particles along the jet axis,… ▽ More We attempt to deduce simple options of `jet quenching' phenomena in heavy-ion collisions at $\snn=5.5 \tev$ at the LHC from the present knowledge of leading-hadron suppression at RHIC energies. In light of the nuclear modification factor for leading particles we introduce the nuclear modification factor for jets, $\RAA^{jet}$, and for the longitudinal momenta of particles along the jet axis, $\RAA^{p_{\rm L}}$. △ Less

Submitted 20 September, 2005; v1 submitted 1 July, 2005; originally announced July 2005.

Comments: 9 pages, 7 figures, proceedings, MIT workshop on fluctuations and correlations in relativistic nuclear collisions

Journal ref: J.Phys.Conf.Ser. 27 (2005) 226

Leading-particle suppression in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions

Authors: A. Dainese, C. Loizides, G. Paic

Abstract: Parton energy loss effects in heavy-ion collisions are studied with the Monte Carlo program PQM (Parton Quenching Model) constructed using the BDMPS quenching weights and a realistic collision geometry. The merit of the approach is that it contains only one free parameter that is tuned to the high-pt nuclear modification factor measured in central Au-Au collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV. Once t… ▽ More Parton energy loss effects in heavy-ion collisions are studied with the Monte Carlo program PQM (Parton Quenching Model) constructed using the BDMPS quenching weights and a realistic collision geometry. The merit of the approach is that it contains only one free parameter that is tuned to the high-pt nuclear modification factor measured in central Au-Au collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV. Once tuned, the model is coherently applied to all the high-pt observables at 200 GeV: the centrality evolution of the nuclear modification factor, the suppression of the away-side jet-like correlations, and the azimuthal anisotropies for these observables. Predictions for the leading-particle suppression at nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energies of 62.4 and 5500 GeV are calculated. The limits of the eikonal approximation in the BDMPS approach, when applied to finite-energy partons, are discussed. △ Less

Submitted 4 November, 2004; v1 submitted 18 June, 2004; originally announced June 2004.

Comments: 28 pages, 14 figures, final version, accepted by Eur. Phys. J. C

Journal ref: Eur.Phys.J.C38:461-474,2005