Methodology for the study of modified jet-like topologies in heavy ion collisions via three particle correlation functions

Methodology is presented for analysis of three-particle correlation functions obtained in heavy ion collisions at ultra-relativistic energies. We show that harmonic correlations can be removed and jet driven correlations reliably extracted. Results from detailed Monte Carlo simulations are used to demonstrate the efficacy of this technique for the study of modifications to away-side jet topologies. Such modifications are an essential probe of the properties of the quark gluon plasma produced in heavy ion collisions.