The Role of QCD Monopoles in Jet Quenching

Abstract

QCD monopoles are magnetically charged quasiparticles whose Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) at $T<T_c$ creates electric confinement and flux tubes. The "magnetic scenario" of QCD proposes that scattering on the non-condensed component of the monopole ensemble at $T>T_c$ is responsible for the unusual kinetic properties of QGP. In this paper, we study the contribution of the monopoles to jet quenching phenomenon, using the BDMPS framework and hydrodynamic backgrounds. In the lowest order for cross sections, we calculate the nuclear modification factor, $R_\text{AA},$ and azimuthal anisotropy, $v_2$, of jets, as well as the dijet asymmetry, $A_j$, and compare those to the available data. We find relatively good agreement with experiment when using realistic hydrodynamic backgrounds. In addition, we find that event-by-event fluctuations are not necessary to reproduce $R_\text{AA}$ and $v_2$ data, but play a role in $A_j$. Since the monopole-induced effects are maximal at $T\approx T_c$, we predict that their role should be significantly larger, relative to quarks and gluons, at lower RHIC energies.