We present measurements of $e^+e^-$ production at midrapidity in Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV. The invariant yield is studied within the PHENIX detector acceptance over a wide range of mass ($m_{ee} <$ 5 GeV/$c^2$) and pair transverse momentum ($p_T$ $<$ 5 GeV/$c$), for minimum bias and for five centrality classes. The \ee yield is compared to the expectations from known sources. In the low-mass region ($m_{ee}=0.30$--0.76 GeV/$c^2$) there is an enhancement that increases with centrality and is distributed over the entire pair \pt range measured. It is significantly smaller than previously reported by the PHENIX experiment and amounts to $2.3\pm0.4({\rm stat})\pm0.4({\rm syst})\pm0.2^{\rm model}$ or to $1.7\pm0.3({\rm stat})\pm0.3({\rm syst})\pm0.2^{\rm model}$ for minimum bias collisions when the open-heavy-flavor contribution is calculated with {\sc pythia} or {\sc mc@nlo}, respectively. The inclusive mass and $p_T$ distributions as well as the centrality dependence are well reproduced by model calculations where the enhancement mainly originates from the melting of the $\rho$ meson resonance as the system approaches chiral symmetry restoration. In the intermediate-mass region ($m_{ee}$ = 1.2--2.8 GeV/$c^2$), the data hint at a significant contribution in addition to the yield from the semileptonic decays of heavy-flavor mesons.
Cocktail of hadronic sources for the 2010 run using the PYTHIA generator for the open heavy flavor contributions.
Invariant mass spectrum of $e^+e^-$ pairs in MB Au+Au collisions within the PHENIX acceptance compared to the cocktail of expected decays.
The second Fourier component v_2 of the azimuthal anisotropy with respect to the reaction plane was measured for direct photons at midrapidity and transverse momentum (p_T) of 1--13 GeV/c in Au+Au collisions at sqr(s_NN)=200 GeV. Previous measurements of this quantity for hadrons with p_T < 6 GeV/c indicate that the medium behaves like a nearly perfect fluid, while for p_T > 6 GeV/c a reduced anisotropy is interpreted in terms of a path-length dependence for parton energy loss. In this measurement with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider we find that for p_T > 4 GeV/c the anisotropy for direct photons is consistent with zero, as expected if the dominant source of direct photons is initial hard scattering. However, in the p_T < 4 GeV/c region dominated by thermal photons, we find a substantial direct photon v_2 comparable to that of hadrons, whereas model calculations for thermal photons in this kinematic region significantly underpredict the observed v_2.
$v_2$ in minimum bias collisions, using two different reaction plane detectors: (solid black circles) BBC and (solid red squares) RXN for (a) $\pi^0$, (b) inclusive photon, and (c) direct photon.
Centrality dependence of $v_2$ (a, c, e) for (solid-black circles) $\pi^0$, (solid-red squares) inclusive photons, and (b, d, f) (solid-black circles) direct photons measured with the BBC detector for (a),(b) minimum-bias (c),(d) 0%-20% centrality, and (e),(f) 20%-40% centrality.
Centrality dependence of $v_2$ (a, c, e) for (solid-black circles) $\pi^0$, (solid-red squares) inclusive photons, and (b, d, f) (solid-black circles) direct photons measured with the BBC detector for (a),(b) minimum-bias (c),(d) 0%-20% centrality, and (e),(f) 20%-40% centrality.
The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has performed systematic measurements of phi meson production in the K+K- decay channel at midrapidity in p+p, d+Au, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at sqrt(S_NN)=200 GeV. Results are presented on the phi invariant yield and the nuclear modification factor R_AA for Au+Au and Cu+Cu, and R_dA for d+Au collisions, studied as a function of transverse momentum (1<p_T<7 GeV/c) and centrality. In central and mid-central Au+Au collisions, the R_AA of phi exhibits a suppression relative to expectations from binary scaled p+p results. The amount of suppression is smaller than that of the neutral pion and the eta meson in the intermediate p_T range (2--5 GeV/c); whereas at higher p_T the phi, pi^0, and eta show similar suppression. The baryon (protons and anti-protons) excess observed in central Au+Au collisions at intermediate p_T is not observed for the phi meson despite the similar mass of the proton and the phi. This suggests that the excess is linked to the number of constituent quarks rather than the hadron mass. The difference gradually disappears with decreasing centrality and for peripheral collisions the R_AA values for both particles are consistent with binary scaling. Cu+Cu collisions show the same yield and suppression as Au+Au collisions for the same number of N_part. The R_dA of phi shows no evidence for cold nuclear effects within uncertainties.
Invariant $p_T$ spectra of the $\phi$ meson for different centrality bins in Au+Au, Cu+Cu, $d$+Au, and $p$+$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV.
$R_{AA}$ vs. $p_T$ for $\phi$ in central Au+Au collisions, $R_{AA}$ vs. $p_T$ for $\phi$ and $\pi^0$ in 10-20% mid-central Au+Au collisions, and $R_{AA}$ vs. $p_T$ for $\phi$ and $p$+$\bar{p}$ in 60-92% and for $\pi^0$ in 80-92% peripheral Au+Au collisions. The global uncertainty of ~ 10% related to the $p$+$p$ reference normalization is not shown.
$R_{AA}$ vs. $p_T$ for $\phi$ for 30-40% centrality Au+Au and 0-10% centrality Cu+Cu collisions, and $R_{AA}$ vs. $p_T$ for $\phi$ and $\pi^0$ for 40-50% centrality Au+Au and 10-20% centrality Cu+Cu collisions. The global uncertainty of ~ 10% related to the $p$+$p$ reference normalization is not shown.
Fast parton probes produced by hard scattering and embedded within collisions of large nuclei have shown that partons suffer large energy loss and that the produced medium may respond collectively to the lost energy. We present measurements of neutral pion trigger particles at transverse momenta p^t_T = 4-12 GeV/c and associated charged hadrons (p^a_T = 0.5-7 GeV/c) as a function of relative azimuthal angle Delta Phi at midrapidity in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. These data lead to two major observations. First, the relative angular distribution of low momentum hadrons, whose shape modification has been interpreted as a medium response to parton energy loss, is found to be modified only for p^t_T < 7 GeV/c. At higher p^t_T, the data are consistent with unmodified or very weakly modified shapes, even for the lowest measured p^a_T. This observation presents a quantitative challenge to medium response scenarios. Second, the associated yield of hadrons opposite to the trigger particle in Au+Au relative to that in p+p (I_AA) is found to be suppressed at large momentum (IAA ~ 0.35-0.5), but less than the single particle nuclear modification factor (R_AA ~0.2).
Average away-side $I^{head}_{AA}$ above 2 GeV/$c$ for various $\pi^0$ trigger momenta in central and midcentral collisions where $|\Delta\phi - \pi| < \pi/6$. Note: a 6% scale uncertainty applies to all $I_{AA}$ values.
Away-side jet widths from a Gaussian fit by $h^{\pm}$ partner momentum for various $\pi^0$ trigger momenta in $p+p$ collisions.
Away-side jet widths from a Gaussian fit by $h^{\pm}$ partner momentum for various $\pi^0$ trigger momenta in Au+Au collisions.
We present inclusive charged hadron elliptic flow v_2 measured over the pseudorapidity range |\eta| < 0.35 in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. Results for v_2 are presented over a broad range of transverse momentum (p_T = 0.2-8.0 GeV/c) and centrality (0-60%). In order to study non-flow effects that are not correlated with the reaction plane, as well as the fluctuations of v_2, we compare two different analysis methods: (1) event plane method from two independent sub-detectors at forward (|\eta| = 3.1-3.9) and beam (|\eta| > 6.5) pseudorapidities and (2) two-particle cumulant method extracted using correlations between particles detected at midrapidity. The two event-plane results are consistent within systematic uncertainties over the measured p_T and in centrality 0-40%. There is at most 20% difference of the v_2 between the two event plane methods in peripheral (40-60%) collisions. The comparisons between the two-particle cumulant results and the standard event plane measurements are discussed.
Centrality classes and average number of participant nucleons $\langle N_{part} \rangle$ obtained from a Glauber Monte Carlo simulation of the BBC and ZDC responses for Au+Au collision at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV.
Comparison of Res{$\Psi_n$;X} and Res{$\Psi_n$;Y} with Res{$\Psi_n$} for the BBC event plane and ZDC-SMD event plane as a function of centrality.
Charged hadron $v_2$($p_T$) in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV from the two-particle cumulant method, the BBC event plane, and the ZDC-SMD event plane for the indicated centralities.
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.
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