RESUMO
It is shown that at a large temperature and E --> infinity the QCD collisional energy loss reads dE/dx approximately alpha(m(D)2)T2. Compared to previous approaches, which led to dE(B)/dx approximately alpha2 T2 ln(ET/m(D)2) similar to the Bethe-Bloch formula in QED, we take into account the running of the strong coupling. As one significant consequence, due to asymptotic freedom, dE/dx becomes E independent for large parton energies. Some implications with regard to heavy ion collisions are pointed out.
RESUMO
We study properties of a gluon plasma above the critical temperature Tc in a generalized quasiparticle approach with a Lorentz spectral function. The model parameters are determined by a fit of the entropy s to lattice QCD data. The effective degrees of freedom are found to be rather heavy and of a sizable width. With the spectral width being closely related to the interaction rate, we find a large effective cross section, which is comparable to the typical distance squared of the quasiparticles. This suggests that the system should be viewed as a liquid as also indicated by an estimate of the plasma parameter Gamma. Furthermore, within the quasiparticle approach we find a very low viscosity to entropy ratio, eta/s approximately 0.2 for T > 1.05 Tc, supporting the recent conjecture of an almost ideal quark-gluon liquid seen at RHIC.
RESUMO
Under very general assumptions we show that the quark dispersion relation in the quark-gluon plasma is given by two collective branches, of which one has a minimum at a nonvanishing momentum. This general feature of the quark dispersion relation leads to structures (van Hove singularities, gaps) in the low mass dilepton production rate, which might provide a unique signature for the quark-gluon plasma formation in relativistic heavy ion collisions.
