Interacting color strings as the origin of the liquid behavior of the quark-gluon plasma

We study the radial distribution function of the color sources (strings) formed in hadronic collisions and the requirements to obtain a liquid. As a repulsive interaction is needed, we incorporate a concentric core in the strings as well as the probability that a string allows core-core overlaps. We find systems where the difference between the gas-liquid and confined-deconfined phase transition temperatures is small. This explains the experimentally observed liquid behavior of the quark-gluon plasma above the confined-deconfined transition temperature.

Automated summary

By studying the radial distribution function of color sources formed in hadronic collisions, we found systems where the difference between gas-liquid and confined-deconfined phase transition temperatures is small. This explains the experimentally observed liquid behavior of the quark-gluon plasma above the confined-deconfined transition temperature.