Radiative energy loss of high energy quarks and gluons in a finite-volume quark-gluon plasma

TLDR

The study investigates the medium‑induced energy‑loss spectrum of a high‑energy quark or gluon traversing a finite‑volume hot QCD medium. The authors model the interaction with static scattering centres and reduce the energy‑loss calculation to solving a Schrödinger‑like equation whose potential is set by the parton’s single‑scattering cross section. They find that the total induced energy loss grows quadratically with the medium length L (up to a critical length proportional to √E), a behavior that should apply to a quark‑gluon plasma.

Abstract

The medium induced energy loss spectrum of a quark or gluon of high energy E traversing a hot QCD medium of finite volume is studied. We model the interaction by a simple picture of static scattering centres. The total induced energy loss is found to grow as L2, where L is the extent of the medium. This quadratic behaviour holds for L smaller than a critical length Lcr α √E. The solution of the energy loss problem is reduced to the solution of a Schrödinger-like equation whose “potential” is given by the single-scattering cross section of the high energy parton in the medium. These results should be directly applicable to a quark-gluon plasma.