PASSAGE OF CHARMED PARTICLES THROUGH THE MIXED-PHASE IN HIGH-ENERGY HEAVY-ION COLLISIONS

We employ a modified cascade hydrodynamics code to simulate the phase transition of an expanding quark-gluon plasma and the passage of a cha rmed particle through it. When inside the plasma droplets, the charmed quark experiences drag and diffusion forces. When outside the plasma, the quark travels as a D meson and experiences collisions with pions. Additional energy transfer takes place when the quark enters or leave s a droplet. We find that the transverse momentum of D mesons provides a rough thermometer of the phase transition.