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sPHENIX is a next-generation detector experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, designed for a broad set of jet and heavy-flavor probes of the Quark-Gluon Plasma created in heavy ion collisions. In anticipation of the commissioning and first data-taking of the detector in 2023, a RIKEN-BNL Research Center (RBRC) workshop was organized to collect theoretical input and identify compelling aspects of the physics program. This paper compiles theoretical predictions from the workshop participants for jet quenching, heavy flavor and quarkonia, cold QCD, and bulk physics measurements at sPHENIX. 

A bstract We study inclusive jet suppression and modifications in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) with a transport-based model. The model includes vacuum-like parton shower evolution at high-virtuality, a linearized transport for jet-medium interactions, and a simple ansatz for the jet-induced hydrodynamic response of the medium. Model parameters are calibrated to nuclear modification factors for inclusive hadron $$ {R}_{AA}^h $$ R AA h and single inclusive jets $$ {R}_{AA}^j $$ R AA j with cone size R = 0 . 4 in 0–10% central Au-Au and Pb-Pb collisions measured at the RHIC and LHC. The calibrated model consistently describes the cone-size dependent $$ {R}_{AA}^j $$ R AA j ( R ), modifications to inclusive jet fragmentation functions and jet shape. We discuss the origin of these modifications by analyzing the medium-induced jet energy flow in this model and elucidate the interplay of hard parton evolution and jet-induced medium response. In particular, we demonstrate that the excess of soft hadrons at p T ∼ 2 GeV/ c in jet fragmentation function and jet shape at large $$ r=\sqrt{\Delta {\eta}^2+\Delta {\phi}^2} $$ r = Δ η 2 + Δ ϕ 2 are consequences of both soft medium-induced gluon radiation and jet-induced medium excitation.