We report on a search for a phase transition from ordinary nuclear matter to a state of deconfined quarks and gluons as predicted by lattice QCD calculations. A new measurement of charmonium production in Pb-Pb interactions at 158 GeV/ c per nucleon agrees with our previous results and confirms the anomalous J/ ψ suppression we had already observed on a significantly smaller data sample. New event selection and analysis techniques show that, for peripheral collisions, the J/ ψ cross-section per nucleon-nucleon collision agrees with the precise suppression pattern inferred from a wide range of measurements extending from p-p up to S-U collisions. As the collisions become more central, the Pb-Pb cross-section exhibits a clear departure from this normal behaviour. The onset of the anomalous J/ ψ suppression reported here is the first clear observation of a threshold effect in heavy ion collisions and can be considered as a strong indication of the production of a deconfined quark-gluon phase in central Pb-Pb collisions.
The J/PSI cross section is the cross section for decay to muon pairs.
The J/PSI cross section is the cross section for decay to muon pairs. The ratios in this taBLE Are obtained from the minimum bias sample of events. See text if article for details.
First results are reported on J ψ and Drell-Yan cross-sections in PbPb reactions at 158 GeV/ c per nucleon. The ratio of cross-sections σ J/ψ /σ DY is studied as a function of the impact parameter of the collision estimated from the measured transverse energy.
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The Drell-Yan cross sections are taken in the mass interval 2.9 to 4.5 GeV. SIG/SIG ratio are free from most systematic errors.
Cross sections for J ψ,ψ′ and Drell-Yan production in Pb+Pb collisions at 158×A GeV/c are presented and compared with results obtained by the NA38 and NA51 collaborations. The Pb+Pb data have been collected by the NA50 collaboration using the NA38 dimuon spectrometer. The Drell-Yan mechanism is found to scale as (A projectile · B target ) in p+B target and A projectile + B target collisions including Pb+Pb collisions. Regarding J ψ , an anomalous suppression is observed in Pb+Pb collisions with respect to the suppression observed in p+B target , O+B target and S+U collisions. The cross section ratios ψ′ ( J ψ ) are similar in Pb+Pb and S+U collisions.
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In this paper we present a study on the production of the J ψ and ψ′ resonances, decaying into muon pairs, in S-U collisions, at 200 GeV per incident nucleon. We find that the ratio between ψ′ and tJ ψ yields decreases as E T , the neutral transverse energy produced in the collision, increases. There is also a clear decrease of this ratio when going from p-W to S-U interactions. Assuming the high mass continuum to be Drell-Yan we discuss the possible understanding of the intermediate dimuon mass region as a superposition of Drell-Yan (extrapolated down in mass) and muon pairs from the semileptonic decays of charmed mesons. The p-W data is found to be explained by this procedure. However, the S-U data seems to be incompatible with a linear extrapolation from the proton-nucleus results.
THE NEUTRAL TRANSVERSE ENERGY PRODUCED IN THE COLLISION > 15 GEV.
THE NEUTRAL TRANSVERSE ENERGY PRODUCED IN THE COLLISION > 15 GEV.
THE NEUTRAL TRANSVERSE ENERGY PRODUCED IN THE COLLISION > 15 GEV.
Muon-pair production has been measured in pCu, pU, OCu, OU and SU collisions at 200 GeV per nucleon. The cross sections are compatible with the atomic number dependence ( A proj. A targ. ) α where α =0.91±0.04 for the J/ψ resonance and α =1.01±0.04 for muon pairs produced in the mass continuum between 1.7 and 2.7 GeV/ c 2 .
Cross sections fitted with SIG0*(A(P=1)*A(P=2))** ALPHA. ALPHA is coded here as POWER(N=A*A,YN=SIG).
Cross sections fitted with SIG0*(A(P=1)*A(P=2))** ALPHA. ALPHA is coded here as POWER(N=A*A,YN=SIG).
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CONTINUUM MUONS ORIGINATE MAINLY FROM VECTOR MESON DECAYS, SEMI-LEPTONIC DECAYS OF D DBAR PAIRS AND FROM DRELL-YAN MECHANISM.
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Low mass muon pair production at high P T and low X F studied in pU, OU and SU 200 GeV per nucleon react ions. When energy density or projectile mass are increased, φ production is enhanced as compared with the yield of muon pairs in the mass continuum (1.7< M μμ < 2.4 GeV/ c 2 ), whereas the production of ω and ϱ, experimentally unresolved, remains approximately constant. This φ enhancement is in agreement with predictions based on quark-gluon plasma formation and, together with the previously reported J/Ψ suppression, puts severe constraints on a purely hadronic description of nucleus-nucleus collisions.
The cross sections are parametrized as A**POWER.
The dimuon production in 200 GeV/nucleon oxygen-uranium interactions is studied by the NA 38 Collaboration. The production ofJ/ψ, correlated with the transverse energyET, is investigated and compared to the continuum, as a function of the dimuon massM and transverse momentumPT. A value of 0.64±0.06 is found for the ratio (ψ/Continuum at highET)/(ψ/Continuum at lowET), from which theJ/ψ relative suppression can be extracted. This suppression is enhanced at lowPT.
Ratio of number of J/PSI's to number of continuum events in given mass interval.