We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 500~\text{GeV}$ by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the non-universality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD.
$P_{T}$ Recoil distribution of events simulated with PYTHIA 6.4 and reconstructed before and after the boson's PT correction has been applied.
Estimated background contributions for the $W^+ -> ev$ data yields.
Estimated background contributions for the $W^- -> ev$ data yields.
We report on measurements of dielectron ($e^+e^-$) production in Au$+$Au collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV per nucleon-nucleon pair using the STAR detector at RHIC. Systematic measurements of the dielectron yield as a function of transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and collision centrality show an enhancement compared to a cocktail simulation of hadronic sources in the low invariant-mass region ($M_{ee}<$ 1 GeV/$c^2$). This enhancement cannot be reproduced by the $\rho$-meson vacuum spectral function. In minimum-bias collisions, in the invariant-mass range of 0.30 $-$ 0.76 GeV/$c^2$, integrated over the full $p_{\rm T}$ acceptance, the enhancement factor is 1.76 $\pm$ 0.06 (stat.) $\pm$ 0.26 (sys.) $\pm$ 0.29 (cocktail). The enhancement factor exhibits weak centrality and $p_{\rm T}$ dependence in STAR's accessible kinematic regions, while the excess yield in this invariant-mass region as a function of the number of participating nucleons follows a power-law shape with a power of 1.44 $\pm$ 0.10. Models that assume an in-medium broadening of the $\rho$ meson spectral function consistently describe the observed excess in these measurements. Additionally, we report on measurements of $\omega$ and $\phi$-meson production through their $e^+e^-$ decay channel. These measurements show good agreement with Tsallis Blast-Wave model predictions as well as, in the case of the $\phi$-meson, results through its $K^+K^-$ decay channel. In the intermediate invariant-mass region (1.1$<M_{ee}<$ 3 GeV/$c^2$), we investigate the spectral shapes from different collision centralities. Physics implications for possible in-medium modification of charmed hadron production and other physics sources are discussed.
Estimated electron purity vs. momentum in 200 GeV Au + Au collisions.
Acceptance correction factor for unlike-sign and like-sign pair difference from 200 GeV Au+Au minimum-bias collisions.
Ratio of the same-event like-sign to the mixed event unlike-sign distributions.
A measurement of the cross-section for Z-boson production in the forward region of pp collisions at 8TeV centre-of-mass energy is presented. The measurement is based on a sample of $\rm Z\rightarrow e^+e^-$ decays reconstructed using the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0fb$^{-1}$. The acceptance is defined by the requirements $2.0<\eta<4.5$ and $p_{\rm T}>20$GeV for the pseudorapidities and transverse momenta of the leptons. Their invariant mass is required to lie in the range 60--120GeV. The cross-section is determined to be $$ \sigma({\rm pp\to Z\to e^+e^-})=93.81\pm0.41({\rm stat})\pm1.48({\rm syst})\pm1.14({\rm lumi})\;{\rm pb}\,,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second reflects all systematic effects apart from that arising from the luminosity, which is given as the third uncertainty. Differential cross-sections are presented as functions of the Z-boson rapidity and of the angular variable $\phi^*$, which is related to the Z-boson transverse momentum.
Integrated cross-section for Z$\to$ e$^+$e$^-$ within the LHCb acceptance.
Differential cross-section for Z$\to$ e$^+$e$^-$ as a function of Z-boson rapidity. The first error is statistical, the second the uncorrelated experimental systematic, the third the correlated experimental systematic and the last error is the uncertainty in luminosity. The cross-sections are at the Born level, i.e. before FSR. The rightmost column gives values of the additional factor, $f_{\rm FSR}$, by which the results should be multiplied in order to give the cross-sections after FSR.
Differential cross-section for Z$\to$ e$^+$e$^-$ as a function of $\phi^*$. The first error is statistical, the second the uncorrelated experimental systematic, the third the correlated experimental systematic and the last error is the uncertainty in luminosity. The cross-sections are at the Born level, i.e. before FSR. The rightmost column gives values of the additional factor, $f_{\rm FSR}$, by which the results should be multiplied in order to give the cross-sections after FSR.
The production of the $\eta_c (1S)$ state in proton-proton collisions is probed via its decay to the $p \bar{p}$ final state with the LHCb detector, in the rapidity range $2.0 < y < 4.5$ and in the meson transverse-momentum range $p_T > 6.5$ GeV/c. The cross-section for prompt production of $\eta_c (1S)$ mesons relative to the prompt $J/\psi$ cross-section is measured, for the first time, to be $\sigma_{\eta_c (1S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi} = 1.74 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.28 \pm 0.18 _{B}$ at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.7 fb$^{-1}$, and $\sigma_{\eta_c (1S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi} = 1.60 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.25 \pm 0.17 _{B}$ at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV using 2.0 fb$^{-1}$. The uncertainties quoted are, in order, statistical, systematic, and that on the ratio of branching fractions of the $\eta_c (1S)$ and $J/\psi$ decays to the $p \bar{p}$ final state. In addition, the inclusive branching fraction of $b$-hadron decays into $\eta_c (1S)$ mesons is measured, for the first time, to be $B ( b \rightarrow \eta_c X ) = (4.88 \pm 0.64 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.67 _{B}) \times 10^{-3}$, where the third uncertainty includes also the uncertainty on the $J/\psi$ inclusive branching fraction from $b$-hadron decays. The difference between the $J/\psi$ and $\eta_c (1S)$ meson masses is determined to be $114.7 \pm 1.5 \pm 0.1$ MeV/c$^2$.
Differential cross-section for $\eta_c(1S)$ prompt production for $p_T > 6.5$ [GeV/$c$] and $2.0 < y < 4.5$. The reported uncertainties are total errors.
Differential cross-section for $\eta_c(1S)$ prompt production for $p_T > 6.5$ [GeV/$c$] and $2.0 < y < 4.5$. The reported uncertainties are total errors.
Differential cross-section for $\eta_c(1S)$ from inclusive charmonium production in b-hadrons decays for $p_T > 6.5$ [GeV/$c$] and $2.0 < y < 4.5$. The reported uncertainties are total errors.
We report measurements of single- and double- spin asymmetries for $W^{\pm}$ and $Z/\gamma^*$ boson production in longitudinally polarized $p+p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 510$ GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The asymmetries for $W^{\pm}$ were measured as a function of the decay lepton pseudorapidity, which provides a theoretically clean probe of the proton's polarized quark distributions at the scale of the $W$ mass. The results are compared to theoretical predictions, constrained by recent polarized deep inelastic scattering measurements, and show a preference for a sizable, positive up antiquark polarization in the range $0.05<x<0.2$.
$E_T^e$ distribution of $W^{\pm}$ candidate events, background contributions, and sum of backgrounds and W -> ev MC signal. This plot is for Electron |eta|<0.5.
$E_T^e$ distribution of $W^{\pm}$ candidate events, background contributions, and sum of backgrounds and W -> ev MC signal. This plot is for Electron 0.5<|eta|<1.1.
$E_T^e$ distribution of $W^{\pm}$ candidate events, background contributions, and sum of backgrounds and W -> ev MC signal. This plot is for Positron |eta|<0.5.
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