Radiative Energy Loss of High Energy Quarks and Gluons in a Finite Volume Quark-gluon Plasma

The medium induced energy loss spectrum of a high energy quark or gluon traversing a hot QCD medium of finite volume is studied. We model the interaction by a simple picture of static scattering centres. The total induced energy loss is found to grow as L, where L is the extent of the medium. The solution of the energy loss problem is reduced to the solution of a Schrödingerlike equation whose “potential” is given by the single-scattering cross section of the high energy parton in the medium. These results should be directly applicable to a quark-gluon plasma. Supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant DE-FG02-94ER-40819 Permanent address: Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, 188350 St. Petersburg, Russia ‡ Laboratoire associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA D0063 Permanent address