Probing Quark Gluon Plasma by Heavy Flavors

Abstract

The drag and diffusion coefficients of charm and bottom quarks propagating through quark gluon plasma (QGP) have been evaluated within the framework of perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (pQCD). Both radiative and collisional processes of dissipation are included in evaluating these transport coefficients. The dead cone as well as the LPM effects on radiative energy loss of heavy quarks have also been considered. The Fokker Planck equation has been solved to study the dissipation of heavy quarks momentum in QGP. The nuclear suppression factor, $R_{\mathrm AA}$ and the elliptic flow $v_2^{HF}$ of the non-photonic electrons resulting from the semi-leptonic decays of hadrons containing charm and bottom quarks have been evaluated for RHIC and LHC nuclear collision conditions. We find that the observed $R_{\mathrm AA}$ and $v_2$ at RHIC can be reproduced simultaneously within the pQCD framework.