We report on measurements of dielectron ($e^+e^-$) production in Au$+$Au collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV per nucleon-nucleon pair using the STAR detector at RHIC. Systematic measurements of the dielectron yield as a function of transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and collision centrality show an enhancement compared to a cocktail simulation of hadronic sources in the low invariant-mass region ($M_{ee}<$ 1 GeV/$c^2$). This enhancement cannot be reproduced by the $\rho$-meson vacuum spectral function. In minimum-bias collisions, in the invariant-mass range of 0.30 $-$ 0.76 GeV/$c^2$, integrated over the full $p_{\rm T}$ acceptance, the enhancement factor is 1.76 $\pm$ 0.06 (stat.) $\pm$ 0.26 (sys.) $\pm$ 0.29 (cocktail). The enhancement factor exhibits weak centrality and $p_{\rm T}$ dependence in STAR's accessible kinematic regions, while the excess yield in this invariant-mass region as a function of the number of participating nucleons follows a power-law shape with a power of 1.44 $\pm$ 0.10. Models that assume an in-medium broadening of the $\rho$ meson spectral function consistently describe the observed excess in these measurements. Additionally, we report on measurements of $\omega$ and $\phi$-meson production through their $e^+e^-$ decay channel. These measurements show good agreement with Tsallis Blast-Wave model predictions as well as, in the case of the $\phi$-meson, results through its $K^+K^-$ decay channel. In the intermediate invariant-mass region (1.1$
Estimated electron purity vs. momentum in 200 GeV Au + Au collisions.
Acceptance correction factor for unlike-sign and like-sign pair difference from 200 GeV Au+Au minimum-bias collisions.
Ratio of the same-event like-sign to the mixed event unlike-sign distributions.
Photoproduction reactions occur when the electromagnetic field of a relativistic heavy ion interacts with another heavy ion. The STAR collaboration presents a measurement of rho^0 and direct pi^+pi^- photoproduction in ultra-peripheral relativistic heavy ion collisions at sqrt(s_{NN})=200 GeV. We observe both exclusive photoproduction and photoproduction accompanied by mutual Coulomb excitation. We find a coherent cross-section of sigma(AuAu) -> Au^*Au^*rho^0 = 530 pm 19 (stat.) pm 57 (syst.) mb, in accord with theoretical calculations based on a Glauber approach, but considerably below the predictions of a color dipole model. The rho^0 transverse momentum spectrum (p_{T}^2) is fit by a double exponential curve including both coherent and incoherent coupling to the target nucleus/ we find sigma_{inc}/sigma_{coh} = 0.29 pm 0.03 (stat.) pm 0.08 (syst.). The ratio of direct pi^+pi^- to rho^0 production is comparable to that observed in gamma p collisions at HERA, and appears to be independent of photon energy. Finally, the measured rho^0 spin helicity matrix elements agree within errors with the expected s-channel helicity conservation.
ZDC spectra obtained with the minimum bias sample after the $\rho^{0}$ selection cuts are applied, and fit with three Gaussians. The east ZDC is shown on the left and the west ZDC is shown on the right. The ratio of numbers of candidates in the West ZDC of 1n:2n:3n is 1: 0.48 $\pm$ 0.03: 0.42 $\pm$ 0.03, while in the East ZDC, we find 1n:2n:3n is 1: 0.46 $\pm$ 0.03: 0.42 $\pm$ 0.03.
ZDC spectra obtained with the minimum bias sample after the $\rho^{0}$ selection cuts are applied, and fit with three Gaussians. The east ZDC is shown on the left and the west ZDC is shown on the right. The ratio of numbers of candidates in the West ZDC of 1n:2n:3n is 1: 0.48 $\pm$ 0.03: 0.42 $\pm$ 0.03, while in the East ZDC, we find 1n:2n:3n is 1: 0.46 $\pm$ 0.03: 0.42 $\pm$ 0.03.
The invariant mass distribution for the coherently produced $\rho^{0}$ candidates from the minimum bias sample with the cut on the $\rho^{0}$ transverse momentum $p_{T}$ < 150 MeV/c. The hatched area is the contribution from the combinatorial background. The solid line corresponds to Eq. 3 which encompasses the Breit-Wigner (dashed), the mass independent contribution from the direct $\pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ production (dash-dotted), and the interference term(dotted).
We report the measurement of Lamda and Anti-Lamda yields and inverse slope parameters in d + Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV at forward and backward rapidities (y = +- 2.75), using data from the STAR forward time projection chambers. The contributions of different processes to baryon transport and particle production are probed exploiting the inherent asymmetry of the d + Au system. Comparisons to model calculations show that the baryon transport on the deuteron side is consistent with multiple collisions of the deuteron nucleons with gold participants. On the gold side HIJING based models do not describe the measured particle yields while models with initial state nuclear effects and/or hadronic rescattering do. The Multi-Chain Model can provide a good description of the net baryon density in d + Au collisions at RHIC, and the derived parameters of the model agree with those from nuclear collisions at lower energies.
(Color online) a) Invariant mass distribution of $\Lambda$ candidates on the deuteron side with estimated $K_{s}^{0}$ background distribution, b) and c) show the background subtracted $\Lambda$ and $\overline{\Lambda}$ invariant mass distributions. The widths of the peaks are due to the limited momentum resolution of the detectors, and are reproduced by simulations.
(Color online) a) Invariant mass distribution of $\Lambda$ candidates on the deuteron side with estimated $K_{s}^{0}$ background distribution, b) and c) show the background subtracted $\Lambda$ and $\overline{\Lambda}$ invariant mass distributions. The widths of the peaks are due to the limited momentum resolution of the detectors, and are reproduced by simulations.
(Color online) a) Invariant mass distribution of $\Lambda$ candidates on the deuteron side with estimated $K_{s}^{0}$ background distribution, b) and c) show the background subtracted $\Lambda$ and $\overline{\Lambda}$ invariant mass distributions. The widths of the peaks are due to the limited momentum resolution of the detectors, and are reproduced by simulations.
We present strange particle spectra and yields measured at mid-rapidity in $\sqrt{\text{s}}=200$ GeV proton-proton ($p+p$) collisions at RHIC. We find that the previously observed universal transverse mass ($\mathrm{m_{T}}\equiv\sqrt{\mathrm{p_{T}}^{2}+\mathrm{m}^{2}}$) scaling of hadron production in $p+p$ collisions seems to break down at higher \mt and that there is a difference in the shape of the \mt spectrum between baryons and mesons. We observe mid-rapidity anti-baryon to baryon ratios near unity for $\Lambda$ and $\Xi$ baryons and no dependence of the ratio on transverse momentum, indicating that our data do not yet reach the quark-jet dominated region. We show the dependence of the mean transverse momentum (\mpt) on measured charged particle multiplicity and on particle mass and infer that these trends are consistent with gluon-jet dominated particle production. The data are compared to previous measurements from CERN-SPS, ISR and FNAL experiments and to Leading Order (LO) and Next to Leading order (NLO) string fragmentation model predictions. We infer from these comparisons that the spectral shapes and particle yields from $p+p$ collisions at RHIC energies have large contributions from gluon jets rather than quark jets.
Corrected mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.5) pT spectra for $K^{+}$, $K^{−}$, $K^{0}_{S}$, Λ, Ξ, and Ω. Λ spectra that have been corrected for feed-down are shown as open symbols in the Λ panel. The dashed lines are fits using Equation 11 except for the $\Omega+\overline{\Omega}$ where the fit uses Equation 9. The error bars displayed include systematic errors while the fits were done using statistical errors only for all species except the charged kaons.
Corrected mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.5) pT spectra for $K^{+}$, $K^{−}$, $K^{0}_{S}$, Λ, Ξ, and Ω. Λ spectra that have been corrected for feed-down are shown as open symbols in the Λ panel. The dashed lines are fits using Equation 11 except for the $\Omega+\overline{\Omega}$ where the fit uses Equation 9. The error bars displayed include systematic errors while the fits were done using statistical errors only for all species except the charged kaons.
Corrected mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.5) pT spectra for $K^{+}$, $K^{−}$, $K^{0}_{S}$, Λ, Ξ, and Ω. Λ spectra that have been corrected for feed-down are shown as open symbols in the Λ panel. The dashed lines are fits using Equation 11 except for the $\Omega+\overline{\Omega}$ where the fit uses Equation 9. The error bars displayed include systematic errors while the fits were done using statistical errors only for all species except the charged kaons.
We present the transverse momentum (pT) spectra for identified charged pions, protons and anti-protons from p+p and d+Au collisions at \sqrts_NN = 200 GeV. The spectra are measured around midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) over the range of 0.3 < pT < 10 GeV/c with particle identification from the ionization energy loss and its relativistic rise in the Time Projection Chamber and Time-of-Flight in STAR. The charged pion and proton+anti-proton spectra at high pT in p+p and d+Au collisions are in good agreement with a phenomenological model (EPOS) and with the next-to-leading order perturbative quantum chromodynamic (NLO pQCD) calculations with a specific fragmentation scheme and factorization scale. We found that all proton, anti-proton and charged pion spectra in p+p collisions follow xT-scalings for the momentum range where particle production is dominated by hard processes (pT > 2 GeV/c). The nuclear modification factor around midrapidity are found to be greater than unity for charged pions and to be even larger for protons at 2 < pT < 5 GeV/c.
Transverse momentum distribution for $\pi^+$ production in d+Au minbias events in the mid rapidity region, $|y|<0.5$.
Transverse momentum distribution for $\pi^+$ production in p+p NSD events in the mid rapidity region, $|y|<0.5$.
Transverse momentum distribution for $\pi^+$ production in d+Au collisions with centrality 0-20% in the mid rapidity region, $|y|<0.5$.
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