5. Theoretical Physics (CSN4)

Thermalization and Bose Condensation in Heavy Ion Collisions

by Prof. Larry McLerran (Brookhaven Nat. Lab.)

Europe/Rome
Aula Seminari (LNF)

Aula Seminari

LNF

Via Enrico Fermi, 40 00044 Frascati (Roma)
Description
In heavy ion collisions, matter may be initially produced in highly coherent color electric and color magnetic fields. In terms of gluon occupation number, these states are highly occupied. I argue that in the transport equations that describe the evolution of these gluon fields, the coupling constant disappears. The coupling constant reappears only in the time it takes to achieve thermalization. I describe the thermalization process, and argue that there may be gluonic Bose condensation in this somewhat long lived initial Gasma phase. This phase, while not thermal, will generate flow, and is strongly interacting, although weakly coupled.
Slides