Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

January 2010

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Physics and Astronomy

First Advisor

Sean Gavin

Abstract

Measurements at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) find an enhancement of two particle correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions, not present in proton-proton collisions. Because the correlation structure is wide in relative pseudorapidity and narrow in relative azimuthal angle, it is known as the ridge. The most striking feature of the ridge is that it seems to extend to a long range in relative pseudorapidity where causality limits interaction. Similar ridge structures are observed in correlations of particles associated with and without a jet trigger. We argue that the untriggered ridge arises when particles formed in an early Glasma stage later manifest transverse flow. We extend this study to address the triggered ridge in the same context. Finally we address the effects of shear viscosity on our correlation formalism.

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