Jet Quenching in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC (Springer Theses)

This thesis presents the first measurements of jets in relativistic heavy ion collisions as reported by the ATLAS Collaboration. These include the first direct observation of jet quenching through the observation of a centrality-dependent dijet asymmetry. Also, a series of jet suppression measurements are presented, which provide quantitative constraints on theoretical models of jet quenching. These results follow a detailed introduction to heavy ion physics with emphasis on the phenomenon of jet quenching and a comprehensive description of the ATLAS detector and its capabilities with regard to performing these measurements. Aaron Angerami is an experimental nuclear physicist at Columbia University. His research focuses on the study of quantum chromodynamics at high temperatures and densities, specifically on what forms of nuclear matter may exist under these conditions and how the fundamental properties of QCD are manifested in these systems. The medium of deconfined quarks and gluons produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions represents such a system that is experimentally accessible. His research has involved measurements of this medium, particularly through the phenomenon of jet quenching, with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Introduction.- Background.- Experimental Setup.- Jet Reconstruction.- Data Analysis.- Results.- Conclusion.