Dissecting Jet Modification in the QGP with Multi-Point Energy Correlators

Abstract

Energy correlators have recently attracted significant attention in the study of heavy ion collisions due to their potential to robustly connect experimental measurements with an underlying quantum field theoretic description. While theoretical studies have so far primarily focused on the simplest two-point correlator, mapping out the dynamics of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) will require developing a theoretical understanding of multi-point energy correlators. In this paper we present a systematic theoretical study of multi-point energy correlators for jets fragmenting in a dense quark-gluon plasma, accounting for both the medium's perturbative modification to the jet, and its hydrodynamical back-reaction. We consider both the scaling behavior of projected correlators, as well as the shape dependent three-point correlator, highlighting how both provide insight into interactions with the QGP. We discuss the parametric dependence of modifications on the medium scales, opening new opportunities to experimentally separate jet modifications from the medium response. Our results open the door to a systematic exploration of multi-point energy correlators in heavy ion collisions.