https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2012-12165-7
Review
Coarse-graining scale and effectiveness of hydrodynamic modeling
1
Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos 149, 21941-972, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2
Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies FIAS, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
3
ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI and Research Division, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstraße 1, 64291, Darmstadt, Germany
4
Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Rua Sérgio Buarque de Holanda 777, 13083-859, São Paulo, Brazil
Received:
14
June
2012
Revised:
17
September
2012
Accepted:
28
September
2012
Published online:
27
November
2012
Some basic questions about the hydrodynamical approach to relativistic heavy-ion collisions are discussed aiming to clarify how far we can go with such an approach to extract useful information on the properties and dynamics of the QCD matter created. We emphasize the importance of the coarse-graining scale required for the hydrodynamic modeling which determines the space-time resolution and the associated limitations of collective flow observables. We show that certain kinds of observables can indicate the degree of inhomogeneity of the initial condition under less stringent condition than the local thermal equilibrium subjected to the coarse-graining scale compatible to the scenario.
© SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012
