Bose-Einstein correlations of identically charged pion pairs were measured by the PHENIX experiment at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 200 GeV. The Bertsch-Pratt radius parameters were determined as a function of the transverse momentum of the pair and as a function of the centrality of the collision. Using the \it{full} Coulomb correction, the ratio $R_{\rm out}/R_{\rm side}$ is smaller than unity for $<k_{\rm T}>$ from 0.25 to 1.2 GeV/c and for all measured centralities. However, using recently developed partial Coulomb correction methods, we find that $R_{\rm out}/R_{\rm side}$ is 0.8-1.1 for the measured $<k_{\rm T}>$ range, and approximately constant at unity with the number of participants.
Panel (a) and (b) show one-dimensional correlation functions for $\pi^+\pi^+$ and $\pi^-\pi^-$. The bottom figures show the three-dimensional correlation function for $\pi^-\pi^-$ with the full Coulomb (open circle) and without Coulomb (filled triangle) corrections for 0.2 < $k_T$ < 2.0 GeV/$c$ for 0-30% centrality. The projection of the 3-D correlation functions are averaged over the lowest 40 MeV in the orthogonal directions. The error bars are statistical only. The lines overlaid on the open circles (filled triangles) correspond to fits to Eq. 1 (Eq. 2) over the entire distribution. Panel (c) shows the one-dimensional correlation function of unlike-signed pions for 0.2 < $k_T$ < 2.0 GeV/$c$. The two overlaid histograms show calculations for the full (dashed) and the 50% partial (solid) Coulomb corrections. $<k_T>$ ~ 0.45 ($\pm$0.17) GeV/$c$ and $<N_{part}>$ ~ 281 ($\pm$4).
The $k_T$ dependence of the Bertsch-Pratt radius parameters and $\lambda$ for charged pions for 0-30% centrality. Filled triangles show the results from fits to a core-halo structure by Eq. 2, with statistical error bars and systematic error bands. Open circles and squares show the results from the full (Eq. 1) and 50% partial (Eq. 3) Coulomb corrections with statistical error bars, respectively. Results at 130 GeV by PHENIX are given by filled circles.
The $k_T$ dependence of the Bertsch-Pratt radius parameters and $\lambda$ for charged pions for 0-30% centrality. Filled triangles show the results from fits to a core-halo structure by Eq. 2, with statistical error bars and systematic error bands. Open circles and squares show the results from the full (Eq. 1) and 50% partial (Eq. 3) Coulomb corrections with statistical error bars, respectively. Results at 130 GeV by PHENIX are given by filled circles.
Forum