1) Title: Dynamical approach to parton coalescence

     A recent exciting observation in Au+Au reactions at RHIC is the observed 
     quark number scaling of differential elliptic flow v2(pT) [1]. 
     Hadronization via quark coalescence[2-4] provides a natural 
     explanation[3] for this phenomenon. In the coalescence model, the 
     flow of hadrons is directly related to that of constituent quarks, making 
     it possible to infer the quark flows from experimental data. I will 
     compare results for light and charm hadrons i) based on the simple 
     coalescence formulas[2,3] and ii) from a new approach[4] that 
     incorporates quark coalescence into a dynamical transport model. 

     [1] P. Sorensen [STAR Coll.], J. Phys G. 30, S217 (2004);
         J. Adams et al. [STAR Coll.], Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 052302 (2004);
         S. S. Adler et al. [PHENIX Coll.], Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 182301 (2003).

     [2] V. Greco. C.-M. Ko, and P. Levai, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 20302 (2003);
         R. J. Fries et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 202303 (2003)

     [3] D. Molnar and S. A. Voloshin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 092301 (2003);
         Z.-W. Lin and D. Molnar, Phys. Rev. C68, 044901 (2003);
         R. J. Fries et al., Phys. Rev. C68, 044902 (2003)

     [4] D. Molnar, nucl-th/0403035



   2) Title: Dissipation and elliptic flow at RHIC

      Recent data from RHIC for Au+Au reactions at E_cm ~ 130-200 GeV / nucleon
      show a large anisotropy of particle production in the transverse plane,
      characterized by the elliptic flow coefficient v2(pT). The anisotropy can
      be reproduced from ideal hydrodynamics[1], providing a strong 
      argument for rapid thermalization in these reactions. On the other 
      hand, parton kinetic theory[2] can also reproduce the data, if the 
      system is an order of magnitude more opaque than a perturbative 
      parton plasma.

      A common belief is that the kinetic theory calculation demonstrated the
      kinetic equilibration of the dense parton plasma. I show that this is not
      the case because dissipative effects are large even at such extreme
      opacities[3]. I will also investigate how the classical transport 
      results are affected when unitarity bounds on scattering rates 
      (a genuine quantum effect) are taken into account.

      [1] P. Huovinen et al., PLB 503, 58 (2001);
          P.F. Kolb, J. Sollfrank and U.W. Heinz, PRC 62, 054909 (2000);
          D. Teaney, J. Lauret and E.V. Shuryak, nucl-th/0110037.

      [2] D. Molnar and M. Gyulassy, NPA697, 495 (2002); A703, 893(E) (2002);
          B. Zhang, M. Gyulassy and C.M. Ko, PLB 455, 45 (1999).

      [3] D. Molnar and P. Huovinen, nucl-th/0404065