The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has measured electrons from heavy flavor (charm and bottom) decays for 0.3 < p_T < 9 GeV/c at midrapidity (|y| < 0.35) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. The nuclear modification factor R_AA relative to p+p collisions shows a strong suppression in central Au+Au collisions, indicating substantial energy loss of heavy quarks in the medium produced at RHIC. A large azimuthal anisotropy, v_2, with respect to the reaction plane is observed for 0.5 < p_T < 5 GeV/c indicating non-zero heavy flavor elliptic flow. Both R_AA and v_2 show a p_T dependence different from those of neutral pions. A comparison to transport models which simultaneously describe R_AA(p_T) and v_2(p_T) suggests that the viscosity to entropy density ratio is close to the conjectured quantum lower bound, i.e., near a perfect fluid.
Invariant yield of electrons from heavy-flavor decays for 0-10% central collisions, versus PT.
Invariant yield of electrons from heavy-flavor decays for 10-20% central collisions, versus PT.
Invariant yield of electrons from heavy-flavor decays for 20-40% central collisions, versus PT.
The PHENIX experiment has measured mid-rapidity transverse momentum spectra (0.4 < p_T < 5.0 GeV/c) of electrons as a function of centrality in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV. Contributions from photon conversions and from light hadron decays, mainly Dalitz decays of pi^0 and eta mesons, were removed. The resulting non-photonic electron spectra are primarily due to the semi-leptonic decays of hadrons carrying heavy quarks. Nuclear modification factors were determined by comparison to non-photonic electrons in p+p collisions. A significant suppression of electrons at high p_T is observed in central Au+Au collisions, indicating substantial energy loss of heavy quarks.
Inclusive and non photonic electrons invariant yield versus PT, for minimum bias reactions.
Non photonic electrons invariant yield versus PT for different ranges of centrality.
Nuclear modification factor as a function of PT, for 0-10% central reactions Note that the systematic error given is related to the the uncertainties in the p+p measurements.An additional systematic error, symmetrical on the + and - side, related to the uncertainties in the Au+Au measurement, is given in the second column. Another, PT-independant, 13%systematic error due to the uncertainty on the overlap function and the Pi0 yield normalization is to add.
The PHENIX experiment has measured mid-rapidity transverse momentum spectra (0.4 < p_T < 4.0 GeV/c) of single electrons as a function of centrality in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. Contributions to the raw spectra from photon conversions and Dalitz decays of light neutral mesons are measured by introducing a thin (1.7% X_0) converter into the PHENIX acceptance and are statistically removed. The subtracted ``non-photonic'' electron spectra are primarily due to the semi-leptonic decays of hadrons containing heavy quarks (charm and bottom). For all centralities, charm production is found to scale with the nuclear overlap function, T_AA. For minimum-bias collisions the charm cross section per binary collision is N_cc^bar/T_AA = 622 +/- 57 (stat.) +/- 160 (sys.) microbarns.
Value of the Alpha power as used in a fit of dN/dy versus Ncoll of the form A*Ncoll^Alpha, where N is the non photonic electron yield and Ncoll the number of p+p collisions This value only includes data from Au+Au collisions The value of Alpha = 1 is the expectation in the absence of medium effects.
Value of the Alpha power as used in a fit of dN/dy versus Ncoll, of the form A*Ncoll^Alpha, where N is the non photonic electron yield and Ncoll the number of p+p collisions This value is calculated including previous data of p+p collisions, measured by PHENIX, in addition of the Au+Au data The value of Alpha = 1 is the expectation in the absence of medium effects.
Spectrum in transverse momentum of electrons created in open heavy flavor decays, for minimum bias events.
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