Heavy quark transport in an anisotropic hot QCD medium: collisional and radiative processes

Abstract

The impact of momentum anisotropy on the heavy quark transport coefficients due to collisional and radiative processes in the QCD medium has been studied within the ambit of kinetic theory. Anisotropic aspects (momentum) are incorporated into the heavy quark dynamics through the non-equilibrium momentum distribution function of quarks, antiquarks, and gluons. These non-equilibrium distribution functions that encode the physics of momentum anisotropy and turbulent chromo-fields have been obtained by solving the ensemble-averaged diffusive Vlasov-Boltzmann equation. The momentum dependence of heavy quark transport coefficients in the medium is seen to be sensitive to the strength of the anisotropy for both collisional and radiative processes. In addition, the collisional and radiative energy loss of the heavy quark in the anisotropic hot QCD medium have been analyzed. The effects of anisotropy on the drag and diffusion coefficients may have a visible impact on the measured observables associated with heavy quarks, such as the nuclear suppression factor and flow coefficients in high-energetic heavy-ion collisions at the RHIC and LHC.