Collective Flow vs. Hard Processes in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

Abstract

In relativistic heavy ion collisions, the $p_T$ distributions of hadrons reflect the transverse motion generated during the collision and therefore the collision dynamics. The moderate $p_T$ values measured to date at $\sqrt{s} \approx $ 20 GeV/nucleon contain a mix of hard and soft processes. The available data from the SPS on $π$, K, p, and $Λ$ are used to constrain the magnitude of collective radial expansion. In $A+A$ collisions, the hydrodynamic distributions determined from the measured collective expansion are determined up to high $p_T$ and are consistent with the $π^{0}$ data. To cleanly observe hard processes, measurements at $p_T \ge 4$ GeV/c will be required. Pions produced in $p+W$ collisions clearly deviate from hydrodynamic distributions at $p_T > 2$ GeV/c, underscoring the differences in the physics between $p+A$ and $A+A$ collisions.