Introduction to fluid model for RHIC heavy ion collisions

An introductory review of the fluid model which has been looked upon as the promising phenomenological model for the heavy ion scattering experiments at RHIC is presented here. Subjects are especially focused on the fundamental assumptions of the model and the decision process of the phenomenological parameters considering newcomers to hadron physics. Introduction of thermodynamical quantities, 1+1 dimension model, time-space evolution of fluid, correspondence of fluid to particles, initial condition, boundary condition and comparison of the equation of state of fluid model and that of hadron model are described. Limitation of fluid picture and the validity of the model are discussed finally. It is summarized that the present fluid model does not predict much about results in advance but gives interpretation after the event, nevertheless it reproduces much of the experimental results in natural form. It is expected that the parameter of the fluid model is to be used as the intermediate theory to relate experimental results with theory. (S. Funahashi)