6533b7ddfe1ef96bd1273605
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Approach to equilibrium of a quarkonium in a quark-gluon plasma
Jean-paul BlaizotMiguel ÁNgel Escobedosubject
heavy ion: scatteringNuclear Theoryquark-gluon plasmaplasma: temperature[PHYS.NUCL]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Theory [nucl-th]High Energy Physics::LatticeBinding energyFOS: Physical sciencesdensity matrix: reducedhiukkasfysiikka01 natural sciencesNuclear Theory (nucl-th)heavy quark: productionHigh Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)quarkonium: heavy0103 physical sciencesparticle physicsStrong Interactions010306 general physicsNuclear Experimentquark gluon: plasmaPhysicsThermal equilibriumquarkonium: binding energyta114010308 nuclear & particles physicsHigh Energy Physics::PhenomenologyEquations of motionPlasmafield equationsQuarkoniumCollisionpotential: complexHigh Energy Physics - PhenomenologyQuantum electrodynamicsheavy quark: propagation[PHYS.HPHE]Physics [physics]/High Energy Physics - Phenomenology [hep-ph]Quark–gluon plasmaProper treatmentdescription
We derive equations of motion for the reduced density matrix of a heavy quarkonium in contact with a quark-gluon plasma in thermal equilibrium. These equations allow in particular a proper treatment of the regime when the temperature of the plasma is comparable to the binding energy of the quarkonium. These equations are used to study how the quarkonium approaches equilibrium with the plasma, and we discuss the corresponding entropy increase, or free energy decrease, depending on the temperature regime. The effect of collisions can be accounted for by the generalization of the imaginary potential introduced in previous studies, and from which collision rates are derived. An important outcome of the present analysis is that this imaginary potential has a sizeable dependence on the energy of the relevant transitions.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-09 |