Probing nuclear matter with jets

Abstract

Jet physics in relativistic heavy ion collisions, which combines perturbative QCD jet production with quark and gluon energy loss and in-medium parton shower modification, has emerged as a powerful tool to probe the properties of strongly-interacting matter formed in high-energy nuclear reactions. We present selected results for the modification of jet cross sections and related observables in the ambiance of hot and/or dense nuclear medium. We focus on the inclusive jet spectrum and dijets [${\cal O}(\alpha_s^3) $], and $Z^0/\gamma^*$ tagged jets [${\cal O}(G_F\alpha_s^2) $] in the framework of perturbative QCD.