Working Groups

There are three Working Groups defined in the THOR action:

Working Group 1: Phases of strongly interacting matter (WG1)

WG1 is oriented onto physics questions dealing with strongly interacting matter in equilibrium. It includes ab initio lattice QCD calculations and their applications, effective modes, hadron properties in medium and vacuum. The important object of the studies are the Equation of State and transport coefficients (as long as they are not used in dynamical simulation). Also, statistical models for hadron production and the chemical composition of matter in equilibrium fall into the scope of this WG.

Working group 1 is coordinated by Prof. Gert Aarts.

Working Group 2: Dynamics of strongly interacting matter (WG2)

The focus of WG2 is on modeling of the evolution of fireball created in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions. This includes e.g. studies with hydrodynamic and transport models, as well as hybrid approaches resulting from composition of various models. These phenomenological studies address e.g. momentum distributions and correlations, fluctuations, femtoscopy. Also, dynamical generation of rare particle species falls into the subjects of this WG.

Working group 2 is coordinated by Prof. Jörg Aichelin.

Working Group 3: Initial state and hard probes (WG3)

Physics focus of WG3 is on early processes in nuclear collisions at highest available energies and on related subjects. Thus it includes parton distribution functions in pp and nuclear collisions, shadowing and gluon saturation. Next studied are hard probes like jets with particular stress on their quenching and energy loss. This WG also deals with issues related to the production and further evolution of heavy quarks. Many of these topics are related to the dynamical evolution of the bulk part of the fireball and thus close collaboration with WG2 is expected.

Working group 3 is coordinated by Prof. Elena Gonzalez Ferreiro.