Small Shear Viscosity of a Quark-Gluon Plasma Implies Strong Jet Quenching

Journal Article · Fri Nov 09 04:00:00 EST 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.99.192301· OSTI ID:21024417

Majumder, Abhijit; Mueller, Berndt ^[1]; Xinnian, Wang ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708 (United States)
2. Nuclear Science Division, MS 70R0319, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

We derive an expression relating the transport parameter q-circumflex and the shear viscosity {eta} of a weakly coupled quark-gluon plasma. A deviation from this relation can be regarded as a quantitative measure of 'strong coupling' of the medium. The ratio T{sup 3}/q-circumflex, where T is the temperature, is a more broadly valid measure of the coupling strength of the medium than {eta}/s, where s denotes the entropy density. Different estimates of q-circumflex derived from existing Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider data are shown to imply radically different structures of the produced matter.

• OSTI ID: 21024417
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 99; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BROOKHAVEN RHIC
DENSITY
ENTROPY
QUARK MATTER
STRONG-COUPLING MODEL