We present STAR measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy parameter $v_2$ and the binary-collision scaled centrality ratio $R_{CP}$ for kaons and lambdas ($\Lambda+\bar{\Lambda}$) at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV. In combination, the $v_2$ and $R_{CP}$ particle-type dependencies contradict expectations from partonic energy loss followed by standard fragmentation in vacuum. We establish $p_T \approx 5$ GeV/c as the value where the centrality dependent baryon enhancement ends. The $K_S^0$ and $\Lambda+\bar{\Lambda}$ $v_2$ values are consistent with expectations of constituent-quark-number scaling from models of hadron fromation by parton coalescence or recombination.
Charged-particle spectra associated with direct photon ($\gamma_{dir} $) and $\pi^0$ are measured in $p$+$p$ and Au+Au collisions at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV with the STAR detector at RHIC. A hower-shape analysis is used to partially discriminate between $\gamma_{dir}$ and $\pi^0$. Assuming no associated charged particles in the $\gamma_{dir}$ direction (near side) and small contribution from fragmentation photons ($\gamma_{frag}$), the associated charged-particle yields opposite to $\gamma_{dir}$ (away side) are extracted. At mid-rapidity ($|\eta|<0.9$) in central Au+Au collisions, charged-particle yields associated with $\gamma_{dir}$ and $\pi^0$ at high transverse momentum ($8< p_{T}^{trig}<16$ GeV/$c$) are suppressed by a factor of 3-5 compared with $p$ + $p$ collisions. The observed suppression of the associated charged particles, in the kinematic range $|\eta|<1$ and $3< p_{T}^{assoc} < 16$ GeV/$c$, is similar for $\gamma_{dir}$ and $\pi^0$, and independent of the $\gamma_{dir}$ energy within uncertainties. These measurements indicate that the parton energy loss, in the covered kinematic range, is insensitive to the parton path length.
The $z_{T}$ dependence of $\pi^{0}-h^{\pm}$ near side and away-side associated particle yields. The errors denoted 'syst' are systematic errors correlated in $z_{T}$. The errors denoted 'syst uncorr' are point-to-point systematic errors.
The $z_{T}$ dependence of away-side associated-particle yields for $\pi^{0}-h^{\pm}$ triggers and $\gamma_{dir}$ triggers. The errors denoted 'syst' are systematic errors correlated in $z_{T}$. The errors denoted 'syst uncorr' are point-to-point systematic errors.
The $z_{T}$ dependence $I_{AA}$ for $\pi^{0}-h^{\pm}$ triggers and $\gamma_{dir}$ triggers. The errors denoted 'syst' are systematic errors correlated in $z_{T}$. The errors denoted 'syst uncorr' are point-to-point systematic errors.
The longitudinal spin transfer, $D_{LL}$, from high energy polarized protons to $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons has been measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 200 \mathrm{GeV}$ with the STAR detector at RHIC. The measurements cover pseudorapidity, $\eta$, in the range $|\eta| < 1.2$ and transverse momenta, $p_\mathrm{T}$, up to $4 \mathrm{GeV}/c$. The longitudinal spin transfer is found to be $D_{LL}= -0.03\pm 0.13(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.04(\mathrm{syst})$ for inclusive $\Lambda$ and $D_{LL} = -0.12 \pm 0.08(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.03(\mathrm{syst})$ for inclusive $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons with $<\eta> = 0.5$ and $<p_\mathrm{T}> = 3.7 \mathrm{GeV}/c$. The dependence on $\eta$ and $p_\mathrm{T}$ is presented.
The contribution of $B$ meson decays to non-photonic electrons, which are mainly produced by the semi-leptonic decays of heavy flavor mesons, in $p+p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 200 GeV has been measured using azimuthal correlations between non-photonic electrons and hadrons. The extracted $B$ decay contribution is approximately 50% at a transverse momentum of $p_{T} \geq 5$ GeV/$c$. These measurements constrain the nuclear modification factor for electrons from $B$ and $D$ meson decays. The result indicates that $B$ meson production in heavy ion collisions is also suppressed at high $p_{T}$.
Distributions of the azimuthal angle between nonphotonic electrons and charged hadrons normalized per nonphotonic electron trigger. The trigger electron has (top) $2.5 < p_{T} < 3.5$ GeV/$c$ and (bottom) $5.5 < p_{T} < 6.5$ GeV/$c$. The curves represent PYTHIA calculations for $D$ (dotted curve) and $B$ (dashed curve) decays. The fit result is shown as the black solid curve.
(a) Background-subtracted invariant mass distribution of $K$ pairs requiring at least one nonphotonic electron trigger in the event. The solid line is a Gaussian fit to the data near the peak region. (b) Distribution of the azimuthal angle between nonphotonic electron (positron) trigger particles and $D^{0}$ ($\bar{D}^{0}$). The solid (dashed) line is a fit of the correlation function from PYTHIA (MC$@$NLO) simulations to the data points.
Transverse momentum dependence of the relative contribution from $B$ mesons ($r_{B}$) to the nonphotonic electron yields. Error bars are statistical and brackets are systematic uncertainties. The solid curve is the FONLL calculation [14]. Theoretical uncertainties are indicated by the dashed curves.
We report a measurement of high-p_T inclusive pi^0, eta, and direct photon production in p+p and d+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV at midrapidity (0 < eta < 1). Photons from the decay pi^0 -> gamma gamma were detected in the Barrel Electromagnetic Calorimeter of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The eta -> gamma gamma decay was also observed and constituted the first eta measurement by STAR. The first direct photon cross section measurement by STAR is also presented, the signal was extracted statistically by subtracting the pi^0, eta, and omega(782) decay background from the inclusive photon distribution observed in the calorimeter. The analysis is described in detail, and the results are found to be in good agreement with earlier measurements and with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations.
Cross sections for inclusive $\pi^0$ production in p + p and d + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. The solid lines correspond to NLO pQCD calculations. The measured $\pi^0$ cross sections were not corrected for feed-down contributions $\eta$ -> 3$\pi^0$, $\eta$ -> $\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$, and $K_S^0$ -> $\pi^0\pi^0$, which were expected to be negligible. Normalization uncertainties of 11.7% for p+p and 5.3% for d+Au are not shown.
Nuclear modification factor $R_{CP}$ for $\pi^0$ measured in d + Au collisions, compared to STAR $\pi^{+-}$ measurements [24]. Peripheral d + Au collisions were used where $R_{CP}$ = ratio of particle production in 40-100% centrality (P) events and 0-20% centrality (C) events. Shaded bands in plot are $p_T$-correlated systematic uncertainties and the error bars are statistical uncertainties. Normalization uncertainty of 11.0% indicated by a shaded band around unity.
Direct photon yield in p + p collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV in terms of the double ration $R_{\gamma}$. Shaded bands in plot are $p_T$-correlated systematic uncertainties and the error bars are statistical uncertainties. The curves correspond to NLO pQCD calculations of the differential cross sections for direct photon [68] and $\pi^0$ [52] production in p + p collisions for different factorization scales $\mu$ (the upper pQCD curve corresponds to $\mu$ = $p_T$/2). The upper limit of the fractional neutral hadron contamination $C_0$ is shown as the shaded band at $R_{\gamma}$ = 0.
We report a measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry A_LL and the differential cross section for inclusive Pi0 production at midrapidity in polarized proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV. The cross section was measured over a transverse momentum range of 1 < p_T < 17 GeV/c and found to be in good agreement with a next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculation. The longitudinal double-spin asymmetry was measured in the range of 3.7 < p_T < 11 GeV/c and excludes a maximal positive gluon polarization in the proton. The mean transverse momentum fraction of Pi0's in their parent jets was found to be around 0.7 for electromagnetically triggered events.
Cross sections for inclusive $\pi^0$ production in p + p and d + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV, compared to a NLO pQCD calculations [8] based on the DDS set of fragmentation functions [24], and to the STAR $\pi^{+-}$ measurement [25]. Normalization uncertainty of 11.7% is not included.
Longitudinal double-spin asymmetry for inclusive $\pi^0$ production at midrapidity in p+p collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV, compared to NLO pQCD calculations based on the gluon distributions from the GRSV [33], GS-C [34], and DSSV [12] global analyses. The systematic error (shaded band) does not include a 9.4% normalization uncertainty due to the beam polarization measurement.
We present the first measurement of midrapidity vector meson φ production in Au+Au collisions at RHIC (sNN=130 GeV) from the STAR detector. For the 11% highest multiplicity collisions, the slope parameter from an exponential fit to the transverse mass distribution is T=379±50(stat)±45(syst) MeV, the yield dN/dy=5.73±0.37(stat)±0.69(syst) per event, and the ratio Nφ/Nh− is found to be 0.021±0.001(stat)±0.004(syst). The measured ratio Nφ/Nh− and T for the φ meson at midrapidity do not change for the selected multiplicity bins.
Slope parameter T, dN/y, $N_\phi/N_h^-$. Systematic uncertainties on T are 12%, on dN/dy are 12%, and on $N_{\phi}/N_{h^-}$ are 22%.
We study the beam-energy and system-size dependence of \phi meson production (using the hadronic decay mode \phi -- K+K-) by comparing the new results from Cu+Cu collisions and previously reported Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_NN} = 62.4 and 200 GeV measured in the STAR experiment at RHIC. Data presented are from mid-rapidity (|y|<0.5) for 0.4 < pT < 5 GeV/c. At a given beam energy, the transverse momentum distributions for \phi mesons are observed to be similar in yield and shape for Cu+Cu and Au+Au colliding systems with similar average numbers of participating nucleons. The \phi meson yields in nucleus-nucleus collisions, normalised by the average number of participating nucleons, are found to be enhanced relative to those from p+p collisions with a different trend compared to strange baryons. The enhancement for \phi mesons is observed to be higher at \sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV compared to 62.4 GeV. These observations for the produced \phi(s\bar{s}) mesons clearly suggest that, at these collision energies, the source of enhancement of strange hadrons is related to the formation of a dense partonic medium in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions and cannot be alone due to canonical suppression of their production in smaller systems.
Midrapidity $(|y| < 0.5)$ transverse momentum spectra of $\phi$ mesons for various collision centrality classes for $Cu+Cu$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=62.4$ and 200 GeV. To study the system size dependence, comparison of $40-50\%$ $Au+Au$ spectra to $10-20\%$ $Cu+Cu$ spectra at 200 GeV, and $40-60\%$ $Au+Au$ spectra to $20-30\%$ $Cu+Cu$ spectra at 62.4 GeV are shown. These centralities for the two colliding systems have similar $\langle N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{part}}}\rangle$ values as outlined in Table 2. The errors represent the statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature. They are found to be within the symbol size. The spectra are fitted to a Levy function discussed in the text.
Midrapidity $(|y| < 0.5)$ transverse momentum spectra of $\phi$ mesons for various collision centrality classes for $Cu+Cu$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=62.4$ and 200 GeV. To study the system size dependence, comparison of $40-50\%$ $Au+Au$ spectra to $10-20\%$ $Cu+Cu$ spectra at 200 GeV, and $40-60\%$ $Au+Au$ spectra to $20-30\%$ $Cu+Cu$ spectra at 62.4 GeV are shown. These centralities for the two colliding systems have similar $\langle N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{part}}}\rangle$ values as outlined in Table 2. The errors represent the statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature. They are found to be within the symbol size. The spectra are fitted to a Levy function discussed in the text.
Upper panels. $N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{part}}}$ scaled ($R^{N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{part}}}}_{AA}$) nuclear modification factors as a function of $p_{T}$ of $\phi$ mesons for $0-10\%$ and $20-30\%$ $Cu+Cu$ and $Au+Au$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV. Lower panel. Same as above for $N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{bin}}}$ scaled ($R^{N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{bin}}}}_{AA}$) nuclear modification factor. The error bars represent the statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature. The shaded band in upper panel around 1 at $p_{T}=4.5-5.5$ GeV/$c$ in the right side reflects the uncertainty in $N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{part}}}$ and that on the lower panel for $N_{\scriptsize{\mbox{bin}}}$ calculation for central $Au+Au$ collisions. The respective uncertainties for central $Cu+Cu$ collisions are of similar order.
Measurements of the production of forward high-energy pi0 mesons from transversely polarized proton collisions at \sqrt{s}=200 GeV are reported. The cross section is generally consistent with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The analyzing power is small at x_F below about 0.3, and becomes positive and large at higher x_F, similar to the trend in data at \sqrt{s}<=20 GeV. The analyzing power is in qualitative agreement with perturbative QCD model expectations. This is the first significant spin result seen for particles produced with p_T>1 GeV/c at a polarized proton collider.
Inclusive $\pi^{0}$ production cross section versus leading $\pi^{0}$ energy ($E_{\pi}$). The average transverse momentum ($\langle p_{T}\rangle$) is correlated with $E_{\pi}$, as the PFPD was at a fixed pseudorapidity ($\eta$). The inner error bars are statistical, and are smaller than the symbols for most points. The outer error bars combine these with the $E_{\pi}$-dependent systematic errors. The curves are NLO pQCD calculations evaluated at $\eta=3.8$ [29-31].
Analyzing powers versus Feynman $x$ ($x_{F}$). The average transverse momentum ($\langle p_{T}\rangle$) is correlated with $x_{F}$. The solid points are for identified $\pi^{0}$ mesons. The open points are for the total energy ($E_{\scriptsize{\mbox{tot}}}$), shifted by $x_{F}+0.01$. The inner error bars are statistical, and the outer combine these with the point-to-point systematic errors. The curves are from pQCD models evaluated at $p_{T}=1.5$ GeV/c [14-17]. The $A_{N}$ values are proportional to $A^{\scriptsize{\mbox{CNI}}}_{N}$, assumed to be 0.013 at 100 GeV.
We present STAR measurements of charged hadron production as a function of centrality in Au + Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV. The measurements cover a phase space region of 0.2 < p_T < 6.0 GeV/c in transverse momentum and -1 < eta < 1 in pseudorapidity. Inclusive transverse momentum distributions of charged hadrons in the pseudorapidity region 0.5 < |eta| < 1 are reported and compared to our previously published results for |eta| < 0.5. No significant difference is seen for inclusive p_T distributions of charged hadrons in these two pseudorapidity bins. We measured dN/deta distributions and truncated mean p_T in a region of p_T > p_T^cut, and studied the results in the framework of participant and binary scaling. No clear evidence is observed for participant scaling of charged hadron yield in the measured p_T region. The relative importance of hard scattering process is investigated through binary scaling fraction of particle production.
Ratio of the number of participants Npart or the number of binary collisions Nbin determined from different models to that from Monte Carlo Glauber calculation.
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