Directed flow in relativistic resistive magneto-hydrodynamic expansion for symmetric and asymmetric collision systems

We construct a dynamical model for high-energy heavy-ion collisions based on the relativistic resis-tive magneto-hydrodynamic framework. Using our newly developed (3 + 1)-dimensional relativistic resistive magneto-hydrodynamics code, we investigate magneto-hydrodynamic expansion in symmetric and asymmetric collision systems as the first application to high-energy heavy-ion collisions. As a realistic initial condition for electromagnetic fields, we consider the solutions of the Maxwell equations with the source term of point charged particles moving in the direction of the beam axis, including finite constant electrical conductivity of the medium. We evaluate the directed flow in the symmetric and asymmetric collisions at BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider energy. We find a significant effect of finite electrical conductivity on the directed flow in the asymmetric collision system. We confirm that a certain amount of energy transfer by dissipation associated with Ohmic conduction occurs in the asymmetric collision system because of the asymmetry of the electric field produced by two different colliding nuclei. Because this energy transfer makes the pressure gradient of the medium flatter, the growth of directed flow decreases.

Automated summary

We present a dynamical model for high-energy heavy-ion collisions based on the relativistic resistive magneto-hydrodynamic framework. Using our newly developed (3 + 1)-dimensional relativistic resistive magneto-hydrodynamics code, we investigate the magneto-hydrodynamic expansion in symmetric and asymmetric collision systems. Our study reveals the significant effect of finite electrical conductivity on the directed flow in the asymmetric collision system, due to the asymmetry of the electric field produced by two different colliding nuclei. The finite electrical conductivity leads to energy transfer and consequently reduces the growth of directed flow.