Two- and three-particle correlations in a partonic transport model

Abstract

Two- and three-particle azimuthal correlations have been investigated in central Au + Au collisions at = 200 GeV with a partonic transport model. A hump structure on the away side, so-called ‘Mach-like structure’, which was observed in two- (three-) particle correlations in RHIC experiments, has been reproduced by the partonic transport model. It indicates that a strong parton cascade can couple partons together to show an apparent collective behaviour, i.e. a partonic Mach-like shock wave, due to a big partonic interaction cross section.