QGP modification to single inclusive jets in a calibrated transport model

Abstract

Abstract We study inclusive jet suppression and modifications in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) with a transport-based model. The model includes vacuum-like parton shower evolution at high-virtuality, a linearized transport for jet-medium interactions, and a simple ansatz for the jet-induced hydrodynamic response of the medium. Model parameters are calibrated to nuclear modification factors for inclusive hadron $$ {R}_{AA}^h $$ R AA h and single inclusive jets $$ {R}_{AA}^j $$ R AA j with cone size R = 0.4 in 0–10% central Au-Au and Pb-Pb collisions measured at the RHIC and LHC. The calibrated model consistently describes the cone-size dependent $$ {R}_{AA}^j $$ R AA j (R), modifications to inclusive jet fragmentation functions and jet shape. We discuss the origin of these modifications by analyzing the medium-induced jet energy flow in this model and elucidate the interplay of hard parton evolution and jet-induced medium response. In particular, we demonstrate that the excess of soft hadrons at pT∼ 2 GeV/c in jet fragmentation function and jet shape at large $$ r=\sqrt{\Delta {\eta}^2+\Delta {\phi}^2} $$ r = Δ η 2 + Δ ϕ 2 are consequences of both soft medium-induced gluon radiation and jet-induced medium excitation.