EMMI Workshop: Light-ion collisions 2026

The recent light-ion runs at the LHC allow us to study how the formation and properties of the QGP depend on the size of the system produced. We present results from the newly developed NuclearConfectionery hybrid model [1], which couples (3+1)D relativistic viscous hydrodynamics (CCAKE) with in-medium jet energy loss via the MELT (Module Energy Loss Treatment) module in a single event-by-event evolution. We have made specific numerical upgrades that allow for better resolution of jets and diffusion wakes in small systems such as the first adaptive hydrodynamic code in heavy-ion collisions and "glass" initial conditions. In the soft sector, we perform a Bayesian analysis of bulk observables over a scan of system sizes, from small to large. In the hard sector, we present R_AA for the same set of systems and provide predictions for the multi-particle cumulants vn{2} and vn{4} for n=2-4. We further investigate the fluid back-reaction to the propagating jet and the associated jet wake in these small systems.

[1] Pala et al, 2511.22852 [nucl-th]