The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has measured $\phi$ meson production and its nuclear modification in asymmetric Cu$+$Au heavy-ion collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV at both forward Cu-going direction ($1.2<y<2.2$) and backward Au-going direction ($-2.2<y<-1.2$), rapidities. The measurements are performed via the dimuon decay channel and reported as a function of the number of participating nucleons, rapidity, and transverse momentum. In the most central events, 0\%--20\% centrality, the $\phi$ meson yield integrated over $1<p_T<5$ GeV/$c$ prefers a smaller value, which means a larger nuclear modification, in the Cu-going direction compared to the Au-going direction. Additionally, the nuclear-modification factor in Cu$+$Au collisions averaged over all centrality is measured to be similar to the previous PHENIX result in $d$$+$Au collisions for these rapidities.
Invariant yield as a function of the number of participating nucleons for 1.2 < $|y|$ < 2.2 and 1 < $p_T$ < 5 GeV/$c$. Type A represents uncertainties that are uncorrelated from point to point, Type B represents uncertainties that are correlated from point to point, and Type C represents uncertainties in the overall normalization.
Invariant yield as a function of transverse momentum for 1.2 < $|y|$ < 2.2 and 0%–93% centrality. Type A represents uncertainties that are uncorrelated from point to point, Type B represents uncertainties that are correlated from point to point, and Type C represents uncertainties in the overall normalization.
Invariant yield as a function of rapidity for 1 < $p_T$ < 5 GeV/$c$ and 0%–93% centrality. Type A represents uncertainties that are uncorrelated from point to point, Type B represents uncertainties that are correlated from point to point, and Type C represents uncertainties in the overall normalization.
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