Bulk viscosity effects on the collective flow harmonics in heavy ion collisions are investigated, on an event by event basis, using a newly developed 2+1 Lagrangian hydrodynamic code named v-USPhydro which implements the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) algorithm for viscous hydrodynamics. A new formula for the bulk viscous corrections present in the distribution function at freeze-out is derived starting from the Boltzmann equation for multi-hadron species. Bulk viscosity is shown to enhance the collective flow Fourier coefficients from v2(pT ) to v5(pT ) when pT ∼ 1 − 3 GeV even when the bulk viscosity to entropy density ratio, ζ/s, is significantly smaller than 1/(4π).

The effects of fluctuating initial conditions are studied in the context of relativistic heavy ion collisions where a rapidly evolving system is formed. Two-particle correlation analysis is applied to events generated with the NEXSPHERIO hydrodynamic code, starting with fluctuating nonsmooth initial conditions (IC). The results show that the nonsmoothness in the IC survives the hydroevolution and can be seen as topological features of the angular correlation function of the particles emerging from the evolving system. A long range correlation is observed in the longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction a double peak structure is observed in the opposite direction to the trigger particle. This analysis provides clear evidence that these are signatures of the combined effect of tubular structures present in the IC and the proceeding collective dynamics of the hot and dense medium.

Elliptic flow at BNL RHIC is computed event by event with NeXSPheRIO. We show that when symmetry of the particle distribution in relation to the reaction plane is assumed, as usually done in the experimental extraction of elliptic flow, there is a disagreement between the true and reconstructed elliptic flows (15%-30% for eta=0, 30% for p perpendicular=0.5 GeV). We suggest a possible way to take into account the asymmetry and get good agreement between these elliptic flows.

We show effects of granular structure of the initial conditions (IC) of hydrodynamic description of high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions on some observables, especially on the elliptic-flow parameter v2. Such a structure enhances production of isotropically distributed high-pT particles, making v2 smaller there. Also, it reduces v2 in the forward and backward regions where the global matter density is smaller, so where such effects become more efficacious.

In this communication, we report results of three-dimensional hydrodynamic computations, by using equations of state with a critical end point as suggested by the lattice QCD. Some of the results are an increase of the multiplicity in the mid-rapidity region and a larger elliptic-flow parameter v 2 . We discuss also the effcts of the initial-condition fluctuations and the continuous emission.

Hadron resonance gas models provide a good description of the equation of state of quantum chromodynamics determined by lattice QCD calculations at temperatures T ∼ 100-155 MeV. In this paper we investigate the effects of an exponentially increasing hadron mass spectrum (Hagedorn spectrum) on the azimuthal anisotropy of the rapidly expanding matter formed in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. If the temperature at which the conversion from fluid degrees of freedom to hadrons is sufficiently close to the Hagedorn temperature, the production of Hagedorn resonances suppresses the differential elliptic flow of all hadron species.

In a recent paper, the hydrodynamic code NeXSPheRIO was used in conjunction with STAR analysis methods to study two-particle correlations as function of ∆η and ∆φ. Both the ridge-like near-side and the double-hump away-side structures were obtained. However, the mechanism of ridge production was not clear. In order to understand it, we study a simple model with only one high-energy density peripheral tube in a smooth cylindrical back-ground, with longitudinal boost invariance. The results are rather surprising, but the model does produce the triple-ridge structure with one high ridge plus two lower ones placed symmetrically with respect to the former one. The shape of this structure is rather stable in a wide range of parameters.

In a recent paper, the hydrodynamic code NEXSPheRIO was used in conjunction with STAR analysis methods to study two-particle correlations as function of ∆η and ∆φ. The various structures observed in data were reproduced. In this work, we discuss the origin of these structures as well as present new results.