Heavy flavor angular correlations as a direct probe of the glasma

Abstract

We use classical equations of motion for heavy quarks to show that the pre-equilibrium glasma phase of a heavy ion collision has an extremely strong effect on heavy quark angular correlations. At the same time, the effect on the single inclusive spectrum is much more moderate. This suggests that $D\overline{D}$ meson angular correlations in future LHC measurements could provide direct experimental access to the physics of the pre-equilibrium stage.