Results on charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A and 30A GeV are presented and compared to data at lower and higher energies. A rapid change of the energy dependence is observed around 30A GeV for the yields of pions and kaons as well as for the shape of the transverse mass spectra. The change is compatible with the prediction that the threshold for production of a state of deconfined matter at the early stage of the collisions is located at low SPS energies.
Transverse mass spectra for pion production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 20 GeV per nucleon.
Transverse mass spectra for pion production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 30 GeV per nucleon.
Transverse mass spectra for kaon production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 20 GeV per nucleon.
Identified pi^[+/-] K^[+/-], p and p-bar transverse momentum spectra at mid-rapidity in sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV Au-Au collisions were measured by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC as a function of collision centrality. Average transverse momenta increase with the number of participating nucleons in a similar way for all particle species. The multiplicity densities scale faster than the number of participating nucleons. Kaon and nucleon yields per participant increase faster than the pion yields. In central collisions at high transverse momenta (p_T greater than 2 GeV/c), anti-proton and proton yields are comparable to the pion yields.
Transverse momentum spectra for PI+ in the midrapidity range for the centrality region 0 to 5 PCT. Errors are combined statistical and systematics.
Transverse momentum spectra for PI- in the midrapidity range for the centrality region 0 to 5 PCT. Errors are combined statistical and systematics.
Transverse momentum spectra for K+ in the midrapidity range for the centrality region 0 to 5 PCT. Errors are combined statistical and systematics.
We have measured the ratios of antiparticles to particles for charged pions, kaons and protons near mid-rapidity in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV. For protons, we observe pbar/p = 0.60 +/- 0.04 (stat.) +/- 0.06 (syst.) in the transverse momentum range 0.15 < p_T < 1.0 GeV/c. This leads to an estimate of the baryo-chemical potential mu_B of 45 MeV, a factor of 5-6 smaller than in central Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 17.2 GeV.
130 GeV is sqrt(S) per nucleon-nucleon collision.