The influence of bulk evolution models on heavy-quark phenomenology

submitted to Physical Review CWe study the impact of different Quark-Gluon Plasma expansion scenarios in heavy-ion collisions on spectra and elliptic flow of heavy quarks. For identical heavy-quark transport coefficients relativistic Langevin simulations with different expansion scenarios can lead to appreciable variations in the calculated suppression and elliptic flow of the heavy-quark spectra, by up to a factor of two. A cross comparison with two sets of transport coefficients supports these findings, illustrating the importance of realistic expansion models for quantitative evaluations of heavy-quark observables in heavy-ion collisions. It also turns out that differences in freeze-out prescriptions and Langevin realizations play a significant role in these variations. Light-quark observables are essential in reducing the uncertainties associated with the bulk-matter evolution, even though uncertainties due to the freeze-out prescription persist