Elliptic flow in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions results from the hydrodynamic response to the spatial anisotropy of the initial density profile. Along-standing problem in the interpretation of flow data is that uncertainties in the initial anisotropy are mingled with uncertainties in the response. We argue that the non-Gaussianity of flow fluctuations in small systems with large fluctuations can be used to disentangle the initial state from the response. We apply this method to recent measurements of anisotropic flow in Pb+Pb and p+Pb collisions at the LHC, assuming linear response to the initial anisotropy. The response coefficient is found to decrease as the system becomes smaller and is consistent with a low value of the ratio of viscosity over entropy of [eta]/s 0.19. Deviations from linear response are studied. While they significantly change the value of the response coefficient they do not change the rate of decrease with centrality. Thus, we argue that the estimate of [eta]/s is robust against non-linear effects.

The Fourier coefficients v[2] and v[3] characterizing the anisotropy of the azimuthal distribution of charged particles produced in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV are measured with data collected by the CMS experiment. The measurements cover a broad transverse momentum range, pt= 1-100 GeV. The analysis focuses on pt> 10 GeV range, where anisotropic azimuthal distributions should reflect the path-length dependence of parton energy loss in the created medium. Results are presented in several bins of PbPb collision centrality, spanning the 60x% most central events. The v[2] coefficient is measured with the scalar product and the multiparticle cumulant methods, which have different sensitivities to the initial-state fluctuations. The values of both methods remain positive up to pt ~ 70 GeV, in all examined centrality classes. The v[3] coefficient, only measured with the scalar product method, tends to zero for pt>~ 20 GeV. Comparisons between theoretical calculations and data provide new constraints on the path-length dependence of parton energy loss in heavy ion collisions and highlight the importance of the initial-state fluctuations.

The azimuthal anisotropy of particle production is commonly used in high-energy nuclear collisions to study the early evolution of the expanding system. The prolate shape of uranium nuclei makes it possible to study how the geometry of the colliding nuclei affects final state anisotropies. It also provides a unique opportunity to understand how entropy is produced in heavy ion collisions. In this paper, the two- and four- particle cumulant v2 (v2{2} and v2{4}) from U+U collisions at √sNN = 193 GeV and Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV for inclusive charged hadrons will be presented. The STAR Zero Degree Calorimeters are used to select very central collisions. Differences were observed between the multiplicity dependence of v2{2} for most central Au+Au and U+U collisions. The multiplicity dependence of v2{2} in central collisions were compared to Monte Carlo Glauber model predictions and it was seen that this model cannot explain the present results. (auth).

STAR (Solenoidal Tracker At RHIC) is one of two large detectors along the ring of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Experiments that collide heavy nuclei at high energy have been taking data at RHIC since the year 2000. The main goal of RHIC has been to search for a new phase of matter called the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), and to determine its properties, including the phase diagram that governs the relationship between QGP and more conventional hadronic matter. This dissertation has a particular focus on analysis of STAR measurements of the anisotropy of particle emission over a range of colliding energies, and these particular measurements are made possible by a unique application of a detector subsystem called Beam-Beam Counters (BBCs), which are placed close to the beam lines on both sides of the collision region. This project has involved development of software that uses the hit pattern of charged particles in the BBCs to determine the collision reaction plane, for use in measurements of anisotropy. Anisotropic flow sheds light on the early partonic system, and according to models, is minimally distorted during the post-partonic stages of the collision. In this anisotropic flow analysis, the estimated reaction plane of each event is reconstructed using the BBC signals, which have a large rapidity gap between them. There is also a large rapidity gap between each BBC and the STAR Time Projection Chamber (the main STAR subsystem for measuring particle tracks). These large rapidity gaps allow us to measure correlations relative to the reaction plane with the least possible systematic error from what is known as "non-flow", i.e., background correlations unrelated to the reaction plane. Flow correlations are normally reported in terms Fourier coefficients, v1, v2, etc. Di- rected flow is quantified by the first harmonic (v1) in the Fourier expansion of the particle's azimuthal distribution with respect to the reaction plane. Elliptic flow is the name given to the second harmonic (v2), and triangular flow is the name for the third harmonic (v3). These harmonic coefficients carry information on the very early stages of the collision. The v1 component is emphasized in this dissertation, and the BBC information that is a unique feature of this work is especially important for v1 measurements. Until recently, higher-order odd harmonics were overlooked. These odd flow harmonics carry valuable information about the initial-state fluctuations of the colliding system. This dissertation includes a study of the flow harmonic related to dipole asymmetry and triangularity in the initial geometry.

The azimuthal anisotropy of charged particles in PbPb collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 2.76 TeV is measured with the CMS detector at the LHC over an extended transverse momentum (pt) range up to approximately 60 GeV. The data cover both the low-pt region associated with hydrodynamic flow phenomena and the high-pt region where the anisotropies may reflect the path-length dependence of parton energy loss in the created medium. The anisotropy parameter (v2) of the particles is extracted by correlating charged tracks with respect to the event-plane reconstructed by using the energy deposited in forward-angle calorimeters. For the six bins of collision centrality studied, spanning the range of 0-60% most-central events, the observed v2 values are found to first increase with pt, reaching a maximum around pt = 3 GeV, and then to gradually decrease to almost zero, with the decline persisting up to at least pt = 40 GeV over the full centrality range measured.

Abstract: Anisotropic flow in high energy heavy-ion collisions is taken as a key evidence for the formation of QGP for brief seconds right after the collisions. Hydrodynamic models including QGP formation are accurate at predicting the azimuthal anisotropy of the produced particles at low transverse momenta. At high momenta however, hydrodynamic models predict no azimuthal anisotropy for particles of different masses and quark-flavors; the logic being that because of their high momenta, the particles pass through the media without having any time to have any reactivity. This is contrary to results from experiments where measurements of particles of different quark flavors show non-zero elliptic flow. To study this deviation, we run PYTHIA simulation of proton-proton collisions at center- of-mass energies equivalent to those at RHIC and LHC; 200 GeV and 13 TeV. Since in PYTHIA simulations no QGP if formed, and there is no final-state interaction, results in our simulation would act as probes to be compared to the results of elliptic flow from real experiments. Our results showed non-zero results for the elliptic flow of pions, heavy mesons and direct photons. Those results are evident of the possible bias in the way the reaction plane is calculated, since all the other factors are controlled for in the PYTHIA simulations. To make up for this inherent bias, the results from PYTHIA should be subtracted from the results of elliptic flow in real experiments, to end up with unbiased results for elliptic flow from the different colliders.