118788264
Hydrodynamic modeling and the QGP shear viscosity
In this article, we will briefly review the recent progress on hydrodynamic modeling and the extraction of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) specific shear viscosity with an emphasis on the results obtained from the hybrid model VISHNU that couples viscous hydrodynamics for the macroscopic expansion of the QGP to the hadron cascade model for the microscopic evolution of the late hadronic stage.
119279322
Interplay of shear and bulk viscosity in generating flow in heavy-ion collisions
We perform viscous hydrodynamic calculations in 2+1 dimensions to investigate the influence of bulk viscosity on the viscous suppression of elliptic flow in noncentral heavy-ion collisions at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider energies. Bulk and shear viscous effects on the evolution of radial and elliptic flow are studied with different model assumptions for the transport coefficients. We find that the temperature dependence of the relaxation time for the bulk viscous pressure, especially its critical slowing-down near the quark-hadron phase transition at T{sub c}, partially offsets effects from the strong growth of the bulk viscosity itself near T{sub c} and that even small values of the specific shear viscosity eta/s of the fireball matter can be extracted without large uncertainties from poorly controlled bulk viscous effects.
118634430
The QGP shear viscosity–elusive goal or just around the corner?
With the new viscous hydrodynamic + hadron cascade hybrid code VISHNU, a rather precise () extraction of the quark gluon plasma (QGP) shear viscosity (?/s)QGP from heavy-ion elliptic flow data is possible if the initial eccentricity of the collision fireball is known with <5% accuracy. At this point, eccentricities from initial state models differ by up to 20%, leading to an uncertainty for (?/s)QGP. It is shown that a simultaneous comparison of elliptic and triangular flow, v2 and v3, puts strong constraints on initial state models and can largely eliminate the present uncertainty in (?/s)QGP. The variation of the differential elliptic flow v2(pT) for identified hadrons between RHIC and LHC energies provides additional tests of the evolution model.
119349636
Dissipative hydrodynamics for viscous relativistic fluids
Explicit equations are given for describing the space-time evolution of nonideal (viscous) relativistic fluids undergoing boost-invariant longitudinal and arbitrary transverse expansion. The equations are derived from the second-order Israel-Stewart approach which ensures causal evolution. Both azimuthally symmetric (1+1)dimensional and nonsymmetric (2+1)-dimensional transverse expansion are discussed. The latter provides the formal basis for the hydrodynamic computation of elliptic flow in relativistic heavy ion collisions including dissipative effects.
53557649
Multiplicity scaling in ideal and viscous hydrodynamics
Using numerical results from ideal and viscous relativistic hydrodynamic simulations with three different equations of state, for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at different centralities and initial energy densities, we explore the dependence of the eccentricity-scaled elliptic flow, v{sub 2}/{epsilon}, and the produced entropy fraction, {delta}S/S{sub 0}, on the final charged hadron multiplicity density dN{sub ch}/dy per unit transverse overlap area S,(1/S)dN{sub ch}/dy. The viscous hydrodynamic simulations are performed with two different versions of the Israel-Stewart kinetic evolution equations, and in each case we investigate the dependence of the physical observables on the kinetic relaxation time. We find approximate scaling of v{sub 2}/{epsilon} and {delta}S/S{sub 0} with (1/S)dN{sub ch}/dy, with scaling functions that depend on the EOS and, in particular, on the value of the specific shear viscosity {eta}/s. Small scaling violations are seen even in ideal hydrodynamics, caused by a breaking of the scale invariance of ideal fluid dynamics by the freeze-out condition. Viscous hydrodynamics shows somewhat larger scale-breaking effects that increase with increasing {eta}/s and decreasing system size and initial energy density. We propose to use precision studies of these scaling violations to help constrain the shear viscosity {eta}/s of the quark-gluon plasma created in relativistic heavy ion collisions.
17687299
Extracting the QGP viscosity from RHIC data—a status report from viscous hydrodynamics
We report recent progress on causal viscous hydrodynamics for relativistic heavy-ion collisions. For fixed specific shear viscosity η/s, uncertainties in the elliptic flow arising from initial conditions, equation of state, bulk viscosity and numerical viscosity, and the treatment of the highly viscous hadronic stage and freeze-out procedure are analysed. A comparison of current viscous hydrodynamic results with experimental data yields a robust upper limit .
73710703
A seasonal cycle and an abrupt change in the variability characteristics of the intraday variable source S4 0954+65
The BLLac object S4 0954+65 is one of the main targets of the Urumqi monitoring program targeting intraday variable (IDV) sources. Between August 2005 and December 2009, the source was included in 41 observing sessions, carried out at a frequency of 4.8 GHz. The time analysis of the collected light curves, performed by applying both a structure function analysis and a specifically developed wavelet-based algorithm, discovered an annual cycle in the variability timescales, suggesting that there is a fundamental contribution by interstellar scintillation to the IDV pattern of the source. The combined use of the two analysis methods also revealed that there was a dramatic change in the variability characteristics of the source between February and March 2008, at the starting time of a strong outburst phase. The analysis' results suggest that the flaring state of the source coincides with the appearance of multiple timescales in its light curves, indicating that changes in the structure of the relativistically moving emitting region may strongly influence the variability observed on IDV timescales.
16178268
The radio lightcurve of SN 2008iz in M82 revealed by Urumqi observations
We report on a set of 5 GHz Urumqi observations of the galaxy M82, made between August 2005 and May 2009. From the resulting flux densities, we detect a strong flare, starting in March or April and peaking in June 2008. We identify this flare with supernova SN 2008iz. The time sampling of the radio light curve allows us to obtain information on the precursor mass-loss rate, the strength of the magnetic field in the radiating region, the explosion date, and the deceleration of the expanding shock. We also check the possible contribution of synchrotron self absorption to the radio light curve and compare our model with other observations of the supernova at 22 GHz.
119209019
On the influence of the Sun on the rapid variability of compact extragalactic sources
Since December 2004, we have performed a program to monitor intraday variable sources at a frequency of 5 GHz at the Urumqi Observatory. We present our analysis of the variability characteristics of the flat-spectrum radio source AO 0235 + 164, which detects an annual cycle in the variability amplitude. This appears to correlate with the solar elongation of the source. A thorough analysis of the results of the MASIV IDV survey - which provides the variability characteristics of a large sample of compact radio sources confirms that there is a small but detectable component of the observed fractional modulation that increases with decreasing solar elongation. We discuss the hypothesis that the phenomenon is related to interplanetary scintillation.
119312762
Structure, spectra and variability of some GPS radio sources
We report the results of multifrequency-VLBI observations of GHz-Peaked-Spectrum (GPS) radio sources. The VLBI structure and component spectra of some GPS sources are presented. Our VLBI results show that about 80% of the GPS galaxies exhibit a compact double or CSO-like structure, white the GPS quasars tend to show a core-jet. The component spectra of the GPS galaxies are often steep/convex, and the core has a flat spectrum but it is usually hidden or weak. In addition, we studied the variability of GPS sources by comparing new flux density measures, acquired with the Urumqi 25-m telescope at 4.85 GHz, with previous 87GB data. The results show that 44% of the GPS quasars varied higher than 10% in passed 20 years, while the fraction is only 12% for the GPS galaxies meaning that the GPS quasars are much more variable than GPS galaxies. In total, 25% of GPS sources show > 10% variability at 4.85 GHz in our sample.
16003577
J1128+592: a highly variable IDV source
Short time-scale radio variations of compact extragalactic radio quasars and blazars known as IntraDay Variability (IDV) can be explained in at least some sources as a propagation effect; the variations are interpreted as scintillation of radio waves in the turbulent interstellar medium of the Milky Way. One of the most convincing observational arguments in favor of a propagation-induced variability scenario is the observed annual modulation in the characteristic time scale of the variation due to the Earth's orbital motion. So far there are only two sources known with a well-constrained seasonal cycle. Annual modulation has been proposed for a few other less well-documented objects. However, for some other IDV sources source-intrinsic structural variations which cause drastic changes in the variability time scale were also suggested. J1128+592 is a recently discovered, highly variable IDV source. Previous, densely time-sampled flux-density measurements with the Effelsberg 100-m radio telescope (Germany) and the Urumqi 25-m radio telescope (China), strongly indicate an annual modulation of the time scale. The most recent 4 observations in 2006/7, however, do not fit well to the annual modulation model proposed before. In this paper, we investigate a possible explanation of this discrepancy. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)