Radiative jet energy loss in a three-dimensional hydrodynamical medium and high pT azimuthal asymmetry of π0 suppression at mid and forward rapidity in Au plus Au collisions at √SNN=200 GeV

The nuclear modification factor R-AA for pi(0) production in Au+Au collisions at root s = 200A GeV is calculated and studied at high transverse momenta p(T). The soft thermalized nuclear medium is described within the framework of relativistic ideal three-dimensional hydrodynamics. The energy loss of partonic jets is evaluated in the context of gluon bremsstrahlung in the thermalized partonic matter. We provide a systematic analysis of the azimuthal asymmetry of pi(0) suppression at high p(T) in central and noncentral collisions at mid and forward rapidity. The determination of R-AA as a function of p(T) at different azimuthal angles and different rapidities makes for a stringent test of our theoretical understanding of jet energy loss over a variety of in-medium path lengths, temperatures, and initial partonic jet energies. This lays the groundwork for a tomography of the nuclear medium.