Study of triangular flow $v_3$ in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions with a multiphase transport model

Abstract

We studied the relation between the initial geometry anisotropy and the anisotropic flow in a multiphase transport model (AMPT) for both Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. It is found that unlike the elliptic flow $v_2$, little centrality dependence of the triangular flow $v_3$ is observed. After removing the initial geometry effect, $v_3/\epsilon_3$ increases with the transverse particle density, which is similar to $v_2/\epsilon_2$. The transverse momentum ($p_T$) dependence of $v_3$ from identified particles is qualitatively similar to the $p_T$ dependence of $v_2$.