The yields of the K*(892)$^{0}$ and $\Phi$(1020) resonances are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV through their hadronic decays using the ALICE detector. The measurements are performed in multiple centrality intervals at mid-rapidity (|$y$|<0.5) in the transverse-momentum ranges 0.3 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 5 GeV/$c$ for the K*(892)$^{0}$ and 0.5 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 5 GeV/$c$ for the $\Phi$(1020). The yields of K*(892)$^{0}$ are suppressed in central Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp and peripheral Pb-Pb collisions (perhaps due to rescattering of its decay products in the hadronic medium), while the longer lived $\Phi$(1020) meson is not suppressed. These particles are also used as probes to study the mechanisms of particle production. The shape of the $p_{\rm T}$ distribution of the $\Phi$(1020) meson, but not its yield, is reproduced fairly well by hydrodynamic models for central Pb-Pb collisions. In central Pb-Pb collisions at low and intermediate $p_{\rm T}$, the p/$\Phi$(1020) ratio is flat in $p_{\rm T}$, while the p/$\pi$ and $\Phi$(1020)/$\pi$ ratios show a pronounced increase and have similar shapes to each other. These results indicate that the shapes of the $p_{\rm T}$ distributions of these particles in central Pb-Pb collisions are determined predominantly by the particle masses and radial flow. Finally, $\Phi$(1020) production in Pb-Pb collisions is enhanced, with respect to the yield in pp collisions and the yield of charged pions, by an amount similar to the $\Lambda$ and $\Xi$.
Measurements of charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40, 80 and 158 AGeV are presented. These are compared with data at lower and higher energies as well as with results from p+p interactions. The mean pion multiplicity per wounded nucleon increases approximately linearly with s_NN^1/4 with a change of slope starting in the region 15-40 AGeV. The change from pion suppression with respect to p+p interactions, as observed at low collision energies, to pion enhancement at high energies occurs at about 40 AGeV. A non-monotonic energy dependence of the ratio of K^+ to pi^+ yields is observed, with a maximum close to 40 AGeV and an indication of a nearly constant value at higher energies.The measured dependences may be related to an increase of the entropy production and a decrease of the strangeness to entropy ratio in central Pb+Pb collisions in the low SPS energy range, which is consistent with the hypothesis that a transient state of deconfined matter is created above these energies. Other interpretations of the data are also discussed.
Mid-rapidity open charm spectra from direct reconstruction of $D^{0}$($\bar{D^0}$)$\to K^{\mp}\pi^{\pm}$ in d+Au collisions and indirect electron/positron measurements via charm semileptonic decays in p+p and d+Au collisions at \srt = 200 GeV are reported. The $D^{0}$($\bar{D^0}$) spectrum covers a transverse momentum ($p_T$) range of 0.1 $<p_T<$ 3 \GeVc whereas the electron spectra cover a range of 1 $<p_T<$ 4 GeV/$c$. The electron spectra show approximate binary collision scaling between p+p and d+Au collisions. From these two independent analyses, the differential cross section per nucleon-nucleon binary interaction at mid-rapidity for open charm production from d+Au collisions at RHIC is $d\sigma^{NN}_{c\bar{c}}/dy$=0.30$\pm$0.04 (stat.)$\pm$0.09(syst.) mb. The results are compared to theoretical calculations. Implications for charmoniumm results in A+A collisions are discussed.
In this paper Au+Au collisions at 11.6A GeV/c are characterized by two global observables: the energy measured near zero degrees (EZCAL) and the total event multiplicity. Particle spectra are measured for different event classes that are defined in a two-dimensional grid of both global observables. For moderately central events (σ/σint<12%) the proton dN/dy distributions do not depend on EZCAL but only on the event multiplicity. In contrast the shape of the proton transverse spectra shows little dependence on the event multiplicity. The change in the proton dN/dy distributions suggests that different conditions are formed in the collision for different event classes. These event classes are studied for signals of new physics by measuring pion and kaon spectra and yields. In the event classes doubly selected on EZCAL and multiplicity there is no indication of any unusual pion or kaon yields, spectra, or K/π ratio even in the events with extreme multiplicity.
The production of neutral strange particles (K0, Λ) inp Ar,pXe and\(\bar p\)Xe collisions at 200 GeV is investigated in the NA5 experiment using a streamer chamber at the CERN SPS. Results are presented on inclusive cross sections, average multiplicities, and on rapidity and transverse momentum distributions of neutral strange particles.
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.
A measurement of the inclusive bottom jet cross section is presented for events containing a $Z$ boson in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV using the Collider Detector at Fermilab. $Z$ bosons are identified in their electron and muon decay modes, and $b$ jets with $E_T>20$ GeV and $|\eta|<1.5$ are identified by reconstructing a secondary decay vertex. The measurement is based on an integrated luminosity of about 330 ${\rm pb}^{-1}$. A cross section times branching ratio of $\sigma (Z+b {\rm jets}) \times {\cal B}(Z \to \ell^+ \ell^-)= 0.93 \pm 0.36$ pb is found, where ${\cal B}(Z\to \ell^+ \ell^-)$ is the branching ratio of the $Z$ boson or $\gamma^*$ into a single flavor dilepton pair ($e$ or $\mu$) in the mass range between 66 and 116 GeV$/c^2$. The ratio of $b$ jets to the total number of jets of any flavor in the $Z$ sample, within the same kinematic range as the $b$ jets, is $2.36 \pm 0.92%$. Here, the uncertainties are the quadratic sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. Predictions made with NLO QCD agree, within experimental and theoretical uncertainties, with these measurements.
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