Simulation of measuring bottom quark flow in heavy ion collisions using the CMS detector

Abstract

In this thesis, I carried out a simulation study to characterize the measurement of bottom quark flow in relativistic Pb+Pb collisions using the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment. The Hydjet event generator is used to produce sample collision events at four centrality values between 0 and 12 fm. These events are processed using the simulation, digitization, and reconstruction modules of the CMSSW software framework. Studies of these data produce information necessary to create a flow signal simulator, and attempts are made at suggesting values for experimental cuts in PT and DCA to reduce backgrounds. Using the signal simulator, it is determined that the muon elliptic flow coefficient, v [mu]/2, varies linearly with that of open beauty, v B/2, with the same constant of proportionality applicable in all background conditions. The expected statistical uncertainty of the flow measurement, RMSv2, is shown to vary linearly with background level. Finally, RMSv2 is shown to vary with event sample size as predicted by background-to-signal ratio counting statistics.