J/ψsuppression at forward rapidity as a potential probe for QGP formation in colour screening scenario

Abstract

In order to study the properties of J/ψ (1S) in the deconfining medium, we extend our previous formalism [Phys. Lett. B {\bf 656}, 45 (2007)] on J/ψ suppression at mid-rapidity using the colour screening framework. Our formalism is more general as the complete rapidity, transverse momentum and centrality dependence including J/ψ suppression at forward as well as mid-rapidity can be computed directly from it. Careful attention is paid to the role of the medium's proper time in determining the locus of the screening region where J/ψ gets suppressed. Other important ingredients in the calculation are bag model equation of state for QGP, the longitudinal expansion of the QGP fluid obeying Bjorken's boost invariant scaling law and non-sequential/sequential melting of χc (1P) as well as ψ′ (2S) higher resonances. Upon comparison with the recent data of PHENIX collaboration on J/ψ suppression at forward and mid-rapidity regions, we find that our model shows a reasonable agreement with the data without incorporating any sequential decay mechanism of higher charmonia states. Furthermore, we observe a larger suppression at forward rapidity in our model which is again well supported by the PHENIX data and also gives a hint that a scenario based on directly produced J/ψ's is preferable.