The directed flow of particles emitted from the fireball created in a heavy-ion collision is shown to be a very sensitive measure of the pressure equilibration in the first 1 fm/c of the evolution. Performing a $(3+1)$-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic calculation with nonequilibrated longitudinal and transverse pressures, we show that the directed flow is strongly reduced if the pressure imbalance survives for even a short time. Transverse momentum spectra, elliptic flow, and interferometry correlation radii are not very sensitive to this early pressure anisotropy. Comparison with the data points toward a short equilibration time of the order of $0.25$ fm/c or less.

• Received 3 September 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.83.024910