J/psi suppression via string interactions in Au-Au collisions at 200 GeV/NN

Abstract: In 2018 the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) reported sig- nals of a strongly coupled quark gluon plasma. This plasma is thought to be the reason for J/psi suppression when a fraction of the produced J/psi's dissolves due to the high-energy density of quarks and gluons. In this thesis, it will be investigated whether the suppression can be uniquely attributed to such a plasma. A model, based on PYTHIA 8 simulations of 200 GeV/NN Au-Au collisions, was developed. Quarks and gluons, bound together by the strong force, are viewed as colour- electric fluxtubes. These fluxtubes are produced at varying density, depending on the nuclear overlap of the collision. Allowing these fluxtubes to interact with J/psi's gives rise to a survival probability (suppression) which is then used to calculate the nuclear modification factor which is then compared to the PHENIX experiments at RHIC. After rather coarse approximations, the suppression obtained is in rea- sonable agreement with data obtained at the PHENIX experiment.