Effective field theory approach to open heavy flavor production in heavy-ion collisions

Understand

We develop a version of Soft Collinear Effective Theory (SCET) which includes finite quark masses, as well as Glauber gluons that describe the interaction of collinear partons with QCD matter.

• In the framework of this new effective field theory, labeled SCET$_{\mathrm{M,G}}$, we derive the massive splitting functions in the vacuum and the QCD medium for the processes $Q\to Qg$, $Q\to gQ$ and $g\to Q\bar Q$.
• The numerical effects due to finite quark masses are sizable and our results are consistent with the traditional approach to parton energy loss in the soft gluon emission limit.
• In addition, we present a new framework for including the medium-induced full splitting functions consistent with next-to-leading order calculations in QCD for inclusive hadron production.