The PHENIX Collaboration has measured the ratio of the yields of $\psi(2S)$ to $\psi(1S)$ mesons produced in $p$$+$$p$, $p$$+$Al, $p$$+$Au, and $^{3}$He$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV over the forward and backward rapidity intervals $1.2<|y|<2.2$. We find that the ratio in $p$$+$$p$ collisions is consistent with measurements at other collision energies. In collisions with nuclei, we find that in the forward ($p$-going or $^{3}$He-going) direction, the relative yield of $\psi(2S)$ mesons to $\psi(1S)$ mesons is consistent with the value measured in \pp collisions. However, in the backward (nucleus-going) direction, the $\psi(2S)$ is preferentially suppressed by a factor of $\sim$2. This suppression is attributed in some models to breakup of the weakly-bound $\psi(2S)$ through final state interactions with comoving particles, which have a higher density in the nucleus-going direction. These breakup effects may compete with color screening in a deconfined quark-gluon plasma to produce sequential suppression of excited quarkonia states.
We report on the nuclear dependence of transverse single-spin asymmetries (TSSAs) in the production of positively-charged hadrons in polarized $p^{\uparrow}+p$, $p^{\uparrow}+$Al and $p^{\uparrow}+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV. The measurements have been performed at forward rapidity ($1.4<\eta<2.4$) over the range of $1.8
Global polarizations ($P$) of $\Lambda$ ($\bar{\Lambda}$) hyperons have been observed in non-central heavy-ion collisions. The strong magnetic field primarily created by the spectator protons in such collisions would split the $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ global polarizations ($\Delta P = P_{\Lambda} - P_{\bar{\Lambda}} < 0$). Additionally, quantum chromodynamics (QCD) predicts topological charge fluctuations in vacuum, resulting in a chirality imbalance or parity violation in a local domain. This would give rise to an imbalance ($\Delta n = \frac{N_{\text{L}} - N_{\text{R}}}{\langle N_{\text{L}} + N_{\text{R}} \rangle} \neq 0$) between left- and right-handed $\Lambda$ ($\bar{\Lambda}$) as well as a charge separation along the magnetic field, referred to as the chiral magnetic effect (CME). This charge separation can be characterized by the parity-even azimuthal correlator ($\Delta\gamma$) and parity-odd azimuthal harmonic observable ($\Delta a_{1}$). Measurements of $\Delta P$, $\Delta\gamma$, and $\Delta a_{1}$ have not led to definitive conclusions concerning the CME or the magnetic field, and $\Delta n$ has not been measured previously. Correlations among these observables may reveal new insights. This paper reports measurements of correlation between $\Delta n$ and $\Delta a_{1}$, which is sensitive to chirality fluctuations, and correlation between $\Delta P$ and $\Delta\gamma$ sensitive to magnetic field in Au+Au collisions at 27 GeV. For both measurements, no correlations have been observed beyond statistical fluctuations.
We present a measurement of the t anti-t production cross section in p anti-p collisions at s**(1/2) = 1.96 TeV which uses events with an inclusive signature of significant missing transverse energy and jets. This is the first measurement which makes no explicit lepton identification requirements, so that sensitivity to W --> tau nu decays is maintained. Heavy flavor jets from top quark decay are identified with a secondary vertex tagging algorithm. From 311 pb-1 of data collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab we measure a production cross section of 5.8 +/- 1.2(stat.)+0.9_-0.7(syst.) pb for a top quark mass of 178 GeV/c2, in agreement with previous determinations and standard model predictions.
We report on a measurement of the ratio of the differential cross sections for W and Z boson production as a function of transverse momentum in proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV. This measurement uses data recorded by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron in 1994-1995. It represents the first investigation of a proposal that ratios between W and Z observables can be calculated reliably using perturbative QCD, even when the individual observables are not. Using the ratio of differential cross sections reduces both experimental and theoretical uncertainties, and can therefore provide smaller overall uncertainties in the measured mass and width of the W boson than current methods used at hadron colliders.
We present a measurement of the $\ttbar$ production cross section using $194 \mathrm{pb^{-1}}$ of CDF II data using events with a high transverse momentum electron or muon, three or more jets, and missing transverse energy. The measurement assumes 100% $t\to Wb$ branching fraction. Events consistent with $\ttbar$ decay are found by identifying jets containing heavy flavor semileptonic decays to muons. The dominant backgrounds are evaluated directly from the data. Based on 20 candidate events and an expected background of 9.5$\pm$1.1 events, we measure a production cross section of $5.3\pm3.3^{+1.3}_{-1.0} \mathrm{pb}$, in agreement with the standard model.
We measure the ratio of cross section times branching fraction, $R_p \equiv \sigma_{\chi_{c2}} {\cal B}(\chi_{c2} \to J/\psi \gamma)/ \sigma_{\chi_{c1}} {\cal B}(\chi_{c1} \to J/\psi \gamma)$, in 1.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 1.96 TeV. This measurement covers the kinematic range $p_T(J/\psi)>4.0$ GeV/$c$, $|\eta(J/\psi)| < 1.0$, and $p_T(\gamma)>1.0$ GeV/$c$. For events due to prompt processes, we find $R_p = 0.395\pm0.016(stat.)\pm0.015(sys.)$. This result represents a significant improvement in precision over previous measurements of prompt $\chi_{c1,2}$ hadroproduction.
We report on a study of the dijet invariant-mass distribution in events with one identified lepton, a significant imbalance in the total event transverse momentum, and two jets. This distribution is sensitive to the possible production of a new particle in association with a $W$ boson, where the boson decays leptonically. We use the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at 1.96 TeV center-of-mass energy collected by the Collider Detector at the Fermilab Tevatron and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.9 fb$^{-1}$. The data are found to be consistent with standard-model expectations, and a 95$\%$ confidence level upper limit is set on the cross section for a $W$ boson produced in association with a new particle decaying into two jets.
The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has measured the differential cross section of $\phi$(1020) meson production at forward rapidity in $p$$+$$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$510 GeV via the dimuon decay channel. The integrated cross section in the rapidity and $p_T$ ranges $1.2<|y|<2.2$ and $2
Charged-pion-interferometry measurements were made with respect to the 2$^{\rm nd}$- and 3$^{\rm rd}$-order event plane for Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV. A strong azimuthal-angle dependence of the extracted Gaussian-source radii was observed with respect to both the 2$^{\rm nd}$- and 3$^{\rm rd}$-order event planes. The results for the 2$^{\rm nd}$-order dependence indicate that the initial eccentricity is reduced during the medium evolution, but not reversed in the final state, which is consistent with previous results. In contrast, the results for the 3$^{\rm rd}$-order dependence indicate that the initial triangular shape is significantly reduced and potentially reversed by the end of the medium evolution, and that the 3$^{\rm rd}$-order oscillations are largely dominated by the dynamical effects from triangular flow.