Mayank Singh

Vanderbilt University, January 31, 12:00 pm

Covariant formulation of spinodal decomposition to study first-order QCD phase transition

Quantitatively mapping the QCD phase diagram has been one of the primary areas of focus for the heavy-ion collision community. We expect to probe the QCD phase diagram in the region beyond the postulated critical point at the beam energy scan program at Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) and at upcoming Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR). In this region, the heavy-ion collision systems are conjectured to undergo a first-order phase transition. This phase transition is expected to proceed via spinodal decomposition as the system explores the metastable and the unstable areas of the equation of state. To conclusively claim the discovery of the first order phase transition curve, it is crucial to include spinodal effects in phenomenological simulations of these collisions and identify its experimental signatures. I will present a covariant formulation of relativistic hydrodynamics including spinodal decomposition. These equations account for surface effects between the two phases and can be used in hydrodynamic models of heavy-ion collisions. We solve them for a nearly boost invariant flow and discuss the effects of phase separation on system evolution.