Jet quenching parameter in QCD kinetic theory

We study the jet quenching parameter $\hat{q}$ in a nonequilibrium plasma using the QCD effective kinetic theory. We discuss subleading terms at large jet momentum $p$, show that our expression for $\hat{q}$ reproduces thermal results at small and large transverse momentum cutoffs for infinite $p$, and construct an interpolation between these limits to be used in phenomenological applications. Using simple nonequilibrium distributions that model pertinent features of the bottom-up thermalization scenario, we analytically assess how anisotropy, underoccupation, or overoccupation affect the jet quenching parameter. Our work provides more details on the $\hat{q}$ formula used in our preceding work [Phys. Lett. B 850, 138525 (2024) ] and sets the stage for further numerical studies of jet momentum broadening in the initial stages of heavy-ion collisions from QCD kinetic theory.