Within the framework of a multiphase transport model, harmonic flows $v_n$ ($n=2,3,$ and 4) are investigated for Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=200$ GeV and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV. The event-by-event geometry fluctuations significantly contribute to harmonic flows. Triangular flow ($v_3$) originates from initial triangularity (${\varepsilon }_3$) and is developed by partonic interactions. The conversion efficiency ($v_n/{\varepsilon }_n$) decreases with the harmonic order and increases with the partonic interaction cross section. A mass ordering in the low-$p_T$ region and a constituent quark number scaling in the middle-$p_T$ region seem to work roughly for $n$th harmonic flows at both energies. All features of harmonic flows show similar qualitative behaviors at BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and CERN Large Hadron Collider energies, which implies that the formed partonic matters are similar at the two energies.

• Received 26 August 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.84.064907