Elliptic flow and incomplete equilibration

The dependence of eccentricity scaled elliptic flow on the partonic cross section in Au+Au collisions at relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) energy √(sNN)=200 GeV with impact parameter b=8 fm is analyzed using a multiphase transport (AMPT) model. It is shown that the dependence of eccentricity scaled elliptic flow on the partonic cross section could be described well by a formula suggested by Bhalerao et al. The eccentricity scaled elliptic flow of the parton is 19%∼27% lower than its 'hydrodynamic limit.' The hadronization of the parton through coalescence and hadronic dynamics (decay, collision) could influence the obtained deviation of eccentricity scaled elliptic flow of the hadron from its 'hydrodynamic limit.' The hadronic final state interactions and hadronization reduce the extracted 'hydrodynamic limit' by 20% and also reduce the deviation from the 'hydrodynamic limit' by 26%.