  The dynamics of partons, hadrons and strings in relativistic nucleus-nucleus
collisions is analyzed within the novel Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics (PHSD)
transport approach, which is based on a dynamical quasiparticle model for
partons (DQPM) matched to reproduce recent lattice-QCD results - including the
partonic equation of state - in thermodynamic equilibrium. The transition from
partonic to hadronic degrees of freedom is described by covariant transition
rates for the fusion of quark-antiquark pairs or three quarks (antiquarks),
respectively, obeying flavor current-conservation, color neutrality as well as
energy-momentum conservation. The PHSD approach is applied to nucleus-nucleus
collisions from low SIS to RHIC energies. The traces of partonic interactions
are found in particular in the elliptic flow of hadrons as well as in their
transverse mass spectra.
