Towards Experimental Confirmation of Quarkonia Melting in Quark–Gluon Plasma: A Review of Recent Measurements of Quarkonia Production in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

Abstract

The dissociation, or “melting”, of heavy quarkonia states due to color charge screening is a predicted signature of quark–gluon plasma (QGP) formation, with a quarkonium state predicted to dissociate when the temperature of the medium is higher than the binding energy of the quarkonium state. A conclusive experimental observation of quarkonium melting coupled with a detailed theoretical understanding of the melting mechanism would enable the use of quarkonia states as temperature probes of the QGP, a long-sought goal in the field of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. However, the interpretation of quarkonia suppression measurements in heavy-ion collisions is complicated by numerous other cold nuclear matter effects that also result in the dissociation of bound quarkonia states. A comprehensive understanding of these cold nuclear matter effects is therefore needed in order to correctly interpret quarkonia production measurements in heavy-ion collisions and to observe the melting of quarkonium states experimentally. In this review, recent measurements of quarkonia production in pA and AA collisions and their state-of-the-art theoretical interpretations will be discussed, as well as the future measurements needed to further the knowledge of cold nuclear matter effects and realize a measurement of quarkonia melting in heavy-ion collisions.