The NA24 experiment at CERN investigated inclusive γγ, π0π0, and γπ0 final states in the mass range between 4 and 9 GeV/c2 produced in π−p, π+p, and pp reactions at a c.m.-system energy s=23.7 GeV. The π0π0 cross sections agree well with expectations of the quark-parton model. For γπ0 production in π−p and pp reactions, a clear signal is observed and cross sections are shown. The production of γγ events was observed with a statistical significance of 2.9σ in π−p reactions. The cross section is in agreement with a higher-order QCD prediction.
Inclusive π 0 and η production at large transverse momentum were studied in both p̄p and pp interactions at √ s = 24.3 GeV. The experiment was performed using an internal molecular hydrogen gas jet target in the CERN SPS collider. No significant differences between production in p̄p and pp were observed in the transverse momentum range 2.5 < P T < 5.1 GeV/ c .
We present the first study of the energy dependence of $p_t$ angular correlations inferred from event-wise mean transverse momentum $<p_{t} >$ fluctuations in heavy ion collisions. We compare our large-acceptance measurements at CM energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =$ 19.6, 62.4, 130 and 200 GeV to SPS measurements at 12.3 and 17.3 GeV. $p_t$ angular correlation structure suggests that the principal source of $p_t$ correlations and fluctuations is minijets (minimum-bias parton fragments). We observe a dramatic increase in correlations and fluctuations from SPS to RHIC energies, increasing linearly with $\ln \sqrt{s_{NN}}$ from the onset of observable jet-related $<p_{t}>$ fluctuations near 10 GeV.
A search for the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) critical point was performed by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, using dynamical fluctuations of unlike particle pairs. Heavy-ion collisions were studied over a large range of collision energies with homogeneous acceptance and excellent particle identification, covering a significant range in the QCD phase diagram where a critical point may be located. Dynamical $K\pi$, $p\pi$, and $Kp$ fluctuations as measured by the STAR experiment in central 0-5\% Au+Au collisions from center-of-mass collision energies $\rm \sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7 to 200 GeV are presented. The observable $\rm \nu_{dyn}$ was used to quantify the magnitude of the dynamical fluctuations in event-by-event measurements of the $K\pi$, $p\pi$, and $Kp$ pairs. The energy dependences of these fluctuations from central 0-5\% Au+Au collisions all demonstrate a smooth evolution with collision energy.
Cross sections for inclusive direct photon production in π−p, π+p, and pp collisions at 300 GeV/c are measured at transverse momenta pT up to 7 GeV/c (xT=0.6). For π−p→γX also the rapidity distribution is presented. The cross-section ratio σ(π−p→γX)/σ(π+p→γX) is found to be 1 at pT=4 GeV/c and rises with increasing pT. This observation signals the occurrence of valence-quark–antiquark annihilation. The results are in good agreement with QCD predictions.
We present a study of Z +gamma + X production in p-bar p collisions at sqrt{S}=1.8 TeV from 97 (87) pb^{-1} of data collected in the eegamma (mumugamma) decay channel with the D0 detector at Fermilab. The event yield and kinematic characteristics are consistent with the Standard Model predictions. We obtain limits on anomalous ZZgamma and Zgammagamma couplings for form factor scales Lambda = 500 GeV and Lambda = 750 GeV. Combining this analysis with our previous results yields 95% CL limits |h{Z}_{30}| < 0.36, |h{Z}_{40}| < 0.05, |h{gamma}_{30}| < 0.37, and |h{gamma}_{40}| < 0.05 for a form factor scale Lambda=750 GeV.
Direct photon production cross sections obtained in high statistics p ̄ p and pp collisions at s =24.3 GeV at the CERN SPS are used in a next-to-leading order QCD analysis. From the cross section difference σ( p ̄ p → γX)−σ(pp → γX) and quark distributions measured in deep inelastic scattering, a determination of the strong coupling constant, α s , is performed via a measurement of Λ (4) MS . This measurement yields a value Λ (4) MS = 210±22 ( stat. )±44 ( syst. ) +105 −36 ( theo. ) MeV. The corresponding value of α s expressed at M 2 Z is α s (M 2 Z )=0.1112 ±0.0016 ( stat. ) ±0.0033 ( syst. ) +0.0077 −0.0034 ( theo. ) .
We report the results of an experiment made at the CERN ISR to investigate the possible diret production of single photons in pp collisions at √ s = 53.2 GeV at 90° and in the p t interval 2.3 to 5.7 GeV/ c . The value of the ratio R = n γ / n π 0 is compatible with zero for low p t ⪅ 3 GeV/ c but, in spite of the large error, shows a trend to increase for larger p t .
Cross sections for inclusive π0 production at large transverse momentum pT were measured in π−p, π+p, and pp collisions at 300 GeV/c. The cross-section ratio σ(π−p→π0X)/σ(π+p→π0X) was found to be consistent with unity in the pT region of 1 to 5 GeV/c. The cross-section ratio σ(π+p→π0X)/σ(pp→π0X) however is growing with increasing pT and increasing π0 c.m.-system rapidity in agreement with parton-model expectations, where the partons in the pions have on average higher momenta than in the proton.
We present results of searches for diphoton resonances produced both inclusively and also in association with a vector boson (W or Z) using 100 $pb^{-1}$ of $p\bar{p}$ collisions using the CDF detector. We set upper limits on the product of cross section times branching ratio for both $p\bar{p} \to \gamma \gamma + X$ and $p \bar{p} \to \gamma \gamma + W/Z$. Comparing the inclusive production to the expectations from heavy sgoldstinos we derive limits on the supersymmetry-breaking scale $\sqrt{F}$ in the TeV range, depending on the sgoldstino mass and the choice of other parameters. Also, using a NLO prediction for the associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson, we set an upper limit on the branching ratio for $H \to \gamma \gamma$. Finally, we set a lower limit on the mass of a 'bosophilic' Higgs boson (e.g. one which couples only to $\gamma, W,$ and $Z$ bosons with standard model couplings) of 82 GeV/$c^2$ at 95% confidence level.