The first measurement of direct photons in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV is presented. The direct photon signal is extracted as a function of the Au+Au collision centrality and compared to NLO pQCD calculations. The direct photon yield is shown to scale with the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions for all centralities.
Double ratio of measured $(\gamma/\pi^0)_{Measured}$ invariant yield ratio to the background decay $(\gamma/\pi^0)_{Background}$ ratio as a function of $p_T$ for minimum bias and for five centralities of Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. The bin range is not an uncertainty in the x-axis because the actual uncertainty by having the finite bin width is corrected for by the bin-shift correction. These bins were constructed using the corrected finite values as centers.
Double ratio of measured $(\gamma/\pi^0)_{Measured}$ invariant yield ratio to the background decay $(\gamma/\pi^0)_{Background}$ ratio as a function of $p_T$ for minimum bias and for five centralities of Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. The bin range is not an uncertainty in the x-axis because the actual uncertainty by having the finite bin width is corrected for by the bin-shift correction. These bins were constructed using the corrected finite values as centers.
Direct $\gamma$ invariant yields as a function of transverse momentum for 9 centrality selections and minimum bias Au+AU collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. Data with no errors represents 90% confidence level upper limit. The bin range is not an uncertainty in the x-axis because the actual uncertainty by having the finite bin width is corrected for by the bin-shift correction. These bins were constructed using the corrected finite values as centers.
The invariant differential cross section for inclusive electron production in $p + p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 200$~GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over the transverse momentum range $0.4 \le p_T \le 5.0$~GeV/$c$ in the central rapidity region ($|\eta| \le 0.35$). The contribution to the inclusive electron spectrum from semileptonic decays of hadrons carrying heavy flavor, {\it i.e.} charm quarks or, at high $p_T$, bottom quarks, is determined via three independent methods. The resulting electron spectrum from heavy flavor decays is compared to recent leading and next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The total cross section of charm quark-antiquark pair production is determined to be $\sigma_{c\bar{c}} = 0.92 \pm 0.15 {\rm (stat.)} \pm 0.54 {\rm (sys.)}$~mb.
Inclusive electron invariant differential cross section.
Non-photonic electron invariant cross section.
PHENIX has measured the centrality dependence of charged hadron p_T spectra from central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV. The truncated mean p_T decreases with centrality for p_T > 2 GeV/c, indicating an apparent reduction of the contribution from hard scattering to high p_T hadron production. For central collisions the yield at high p_T is shown to be suppressed compared to binary nucleon-nucleon collision scaling of p+p data. This suppression is monotonically increasing with centrality, but most of the change occurs below 30% centrality, i.e. for collisions with less than about 140 participating nucleons. The observed p_T and centrality dependence is consistent with the particle production predicted by models including hard scattering and subsequent energy loss of the scattered partons in the dense matter created in the collisions.
Number of participants and binary collisions and their systematic errors for the individual centrality selections used in this analysis. Also given is the ratio of the number of binary collisions for the most central sample relative to the one for each sample. The last column quantifies the ratio of binary collisions to participant pairs.
The ratio $p/h$ represents the proton plus anti-proton yield relative to the total charged hadron multiplicity. This shows the $p_T$ dependence of $p/h$ for minimum bias events.
The ratio $p/h$ represents the proton plus anti-proton yield relative to the total charged hadron multiplicity. This shows the centrality dependence of $p/h$ for $p_T >$ 1.8 GeV/$c$.
Emission source functions are extracted from correlation functions constructed from charged pions produced at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV. The source parameters extracted from these functions at low k_T, give first indications of a long tail for the pion emission source. The source extension cannot be explained solely by simple kinematic considerations. The possible role of a halo of secondary pions from resonance emissions is explored.
Correlation function, C(q) for $\pi^+\pi^+$ and $\pi^-\pi^-$ pairs.
Correlation function, C(q) for $\pi^+\pi^+$ and $\pi^-\pi^-$ pairs.
Correlation function, C(q) for $\pi^+\pi^+$ and $\pi^-\pi^-$ pairs.
Data from Au + Au interactions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV, obtained with the PHENIX detector at RHIC, are used to investigate local net charge fluctuations among particles produced near mid-rapidity. According to recent suggestions, such fluctuations may carry information from the Quark Gluon Plasma. This analysis shows that the fluctuations are dominated by a stochastic distribution of particles, but are also sensitive to other effects, like global charge conservation and resonance decays.
The normalized variance $v(Q)$as a function of $n_{ch}$.
The normalized variance $v(R)$ as a function of $n_{ch}$.
The normalized variance $v(Q)$ for different centrality classes.
The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has measured transverse energy and charged particle multiplicity at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 19.6, 130 and 200 GeV as a function of centrality. The presented results are compared to measurements from other RHIC experiments, and experiments at lower energies. The sqrt(s_NN) dependence of dE_T/deta and dN_ch/deta per pair of participants is consistent with logarithmic scaling for the most central events. The centrality dependence of dE_T/deta and dN_ch/deta is similar at all measured incident energies. At RHIC energies the ratio of transverse energy per charged particle was found independent of centrality and growing slowly with sqrt(s_NN). A survey of comparisons between the data and available theoretical models is also presented.
$B$/$A$ ratio from the fit to the data.
$B$/$A$ ratio from the fit to the data.
Parameter $\alpha$ from the fit to the data.
Event-by-event fluctuations of the average transverse momentum of produced particles near mid-rapidity have been measured by the PHENIX Collaboration in sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV Au+Au and p+p collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The fluctuations are observed to be in excess of the expectation for statistically independent particle emission for all centralities. The excess fluctuations exhibit a dependence on both the centrality of the collision and on the transverse momentum window over which the average is calculated. Both the centrality and p_T dependence can be well reproduced by a simulation of random particle production with the addition of contributions from hard scattering processes.
Comparisons between the data and mixed event $M_{p_T}$ distributions for the representative 0-5% centrality classes. Also given are the residuals between the data and mixed events in units of standard deviations of the data points form the mixed event points.
Comparisons between the data and mixed event $M_{p_T}$ distributions for the representative 30-35% centrality classes. Also given are the residuals between the data and mixed events in units of standard deviations of the data points form the mixed event points.
$F_{p_T}$ (in percent, 0.2 GeV/$c$ < $p_T$ < 2.0 GeV/$c$) as a function of centrality, which is expressed in terms of the number of participants in the collision, $N_{part}$.
Longitudinal density correlations of produced matter in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV have been measured from the inclusive charged particle distributions as a function of pseudorapidity window sizes. The extracted \alpha \xi parameter, related to the susceptibility of the density fluctuations in the long wavelength limit, exhibits a non-monotonic behavior as a function of the number of participant nucleons, N_part. A local maximum is seen at N_part ~ 90, with corresponding energy density based on the Bjorken picture of \epsilon_Bj \tau ~ 2.4 GeV/(fm^2 c) with a transverse area size of 60 fm^2. This behavior may suggest a critical phase boundary based on the Ginzburg-Landau framework.
Weighted mean of corrected NBD $k$, $<k_c>$ as a function of pseudorapidity window size. The dominant sources systematic correlate with dead maps (corr.sys.(dead)) and two-track seperation cuts (corr.sys.(fake)). The total systematic error (uncorr.sys.) is the quadratic sum over all errors.
Weighted mean of corrected NBD $k$, $<k_c>$ as a function of pseudorapidity window size. The dominant sources systematic correlate with dead maps (corr.sys.(dead)) and two-track seperation cuts (corr.sys.(fake)). The total systematic error (uncorr.sys.) is the quadratic sum over all errors.
Fit results based on $k(\delta_{\eta})$=$1/{{2\alpha\xi}/{\delta_{\eta}}}$ ($\xi << \delta_{\eta}$).
The azimuthal distribution of identified pi^0 and inclusive photons has been measured in sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions with the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The second harmonic parameter (v_2) was measured to describe the observed anisotropy of the azimuthal distribution. The measured inclusive photon v_2 is consistent with the value expected for the photons from hadron decay and is also consistent with the lack of direct photon signal over the measured p_T range 1-6 GeV/c. An attempt is made to extract v_2 of direct photons.
The measured $v_2$ of $\pi^0$ ($v_2^{\pi^0}$) for 4 centrality selections.
The measured $v_2$ of inclusive photon ($v_2^{inclusive \gamma}$) for 4 centrality selections.
The expected photon $v_2$ from hadronic decay $v_2^{(b.g.)}$ and the subtracted $v_2$ quantity $R v_2^{(inclusive \gamma)}$ - $v_2^{(b.g.)}$.
Two particle azimuthal correlation functions are presented for charged hadrons produced in Au + Au collisions at RHIC sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV. The measurements permit determination of elliptic flow without event-by-event estimation of the reaction plane. The extracted elliptic flow values v_2 show significant sensitivity to both the collision centrality and the transverse momenta of emitted hadrons, suggesting rapid thermalization and relatively strong velocity fields. When scaled by the eccentricity of the collision zone, epsilon, the scaled elliptic flow shows little or no dependence on centrality for charged hadrons with relatively low p_T. A breakdown of this epsilon scaling is observed for charged hadrons with p_T > 1.0 GeV/c for the most central collisions.
Azimuthal correlation functions for charged hadrons as a function of centrality and $p_T$ selection. The solid curves represent Fourier fits following Eq. (2). Error bars are statistical only.
$v_2$ vs. centrality for several $p_T$ selections. [F] and [A] indicate results obtained with the fixed-$p_T$ and assorted-$p_T$ methods respectively. Systematic errors are estimated to be $\sim 5$%; they are dominated by the normalization of the correction function for real tracks. For the centrality range 0-5%, the data points are statistically uncertain and the points are omitted.
$v_2$ vs. centrality for several $p_T$ selections. [F] and [A] indicate results obtained with the fixed-$p_T$ and assorted-$p_T$ methods respectively. Systematic errors are estimated to be $\sim 5$%; they are dominated by the normalization of the correction function for real tracks. For the centrality range 0-5%, the data points are statistically uncertain and the points are omitted.
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