Elliptic flow and energy loss of heavy quarks in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions

The space-time propagation of heavy quarks in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions is studied within the partonic transport model Boltzmann approach of multiparton scatterings (BAMPS). In this model heavy quarks interact with the partonic medium via binary scatterings. The cross sections for these interactions are calculated with leading-order perturbative QCD, but feature a more precise Debye screening derived within the hard thermal loop approximation and obey the running of the coupling. Within this framework the elliptic flow and the nuclear modification factor of heavy quarks are computed for the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies and compared to available experimental data. It is found that binary scatterings alone cannot reproduce the data and therefore radiative corrections have to be taken into account.