QUARK-GLUON PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS IN A SUCCESSIVE EQUILIBRIUM SCENARIO

The relativistic Fokker-Planck equation has been used to study the evo lution of the quark distribution in the quark-gluon phase expected to be formed in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The effect of th ermal masses for quarks and gluons is incorporated to take account of the in-medium properties, We find that the kinetic equilibrium is achi eved before the system reaches the critical temperature of quark-hadro n phase transition, We find that chemical equilibrium is not achieved during this time. We have evaluated the electromagnetic probes of quar k-gluon plasma from the non-equilibrated quark-gluon phase and compare d them with those in completely equilibrated scenario. The hard QCD pr oduction rates for the electromagnetic ejectiles as well as the heavy quark production rates are also calculated. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.