Measurements of Higher-Order Flow Harmonics in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV

Understand

Flow coefficients v_n for n = 2, 3, 4, characterizing the anisotropic collective flow in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV, are measured relative to event planes \Psi_n determined at large rapidity.

• We report v_n as a function of transverse momentum and collision centrality, and study the correlations among the event planes of different order n.
• The v_n are well described by hydrodynamic models which employ a Glauber Monte Carlo initial state geometry with fluctuations, providing additional constraining power on the interplay between initial conditions and the effects of viscosity as the system evolves.
• This new constraint improves precision of the extracted viscosity to entropy density ratio eta/s.