The longitudinal spin transfer $D_{LL}$ to $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons produced in high-energy polarized proton--proton collisions is expected to be sensitive to the helicity distribution functions of strange quarks and anti-quarks of the proton, and to longitudinally polarized fragmentation functions. We report an improved measurement of $D_{LL}$ from data obtained at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV with the STAR detector at RHIC. The data have an approximately twelve times larger figure-of-merit than prior results and cover $|\eta|<$ 1.2 in pseudo-rapidity with transverse momenta $p_T$ up to 6 GeV/c. In the forward scattering hemisphere at largest $p_T$, the longitudinal spin transfer is found to be $D_{LL}$ = -0.036 $\pm$ 0.048 (stat) $\pm$ 0.013(sys) for $\Lambda$ hyperons and $D_{LL}$ = 0.032 $\pm$ 0.043\,(stat) $\pm$ 0.013\,(sys) for $\bar{\Lambda}$ anti-hyperons. The dependences on $\eta$ and $p_T$ are presented and compared with model evaluations.
The invariant mass distribution for $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ candidates with 3 < p_T < $ 4 GeV/c in this analysis
The raw spin transfer $D _{LL}^{raw}$ versus cos$\theta^*$ for a) $\Lambda$ and b) $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons and c) the spin asymmetry $\delta_{LL}$ for the control sample of $K_S^0$ mesons versus cos$\theta^*$ for $3<p_T<4$ GeV/c for JP1 triggered sample.
The raw spin transfer $D _{LL}^{raw}$ versus cos$\theta^*$ for a) $\Lambda$ and b) $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons and c) the spin asymmetry $\delta_{LL}$ for the control sample of $K_S^0$ mesons versus cos$\theta^*$ for $3<p_T<4$ GeV/c for JP1 triggered sample. Results updated with $\alpha_{\Lambda (\bar{\Lambda})} = 0.732$.
We present the measurement of non-photonic electron production at high transverse momentum ($p_T > $ 2.5 GeV/$c$) in $p$ + $p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV using data recorded during 2005 and 2008 by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The measured cross-sections from the two runs are consistent with each other despite a large difference in photonic background levels due to different detector configurations. We compare the measured non-photonic electron cross-sections with previously published RHIC data and pQCD calculations. Using the relative contributions of B and D mesons to non-photonic electrons, we determine the integrated cross sections of electrons ($\frac{e^++e^-}{2}$) at 3 GeV/$c < p_T <~$10 GeV/$c$ from bottom and charm meson decays to be ${d\sigma_{(B\to e)+(B\to D \to e)} \over dy_e}|_{y_e=0}$ = 4.0$\pm0.5$({\rm stat.})$\pm1.1$({\rm syst.}) nb and ${d\sigma_{D\to e} \over dy_e}|_{y_e=0}$ = 6.2$\pm0.7$({\rm stat.})$\pm1.5$({\rm syst.}) nb, respectively.
The electron pair invariant mass distributions for electrons at $2.5 < p_{T} < 3.0$ GeV/c
The electron pair invariant mass distributions for electrons at $8 < p_{T} < 10$ GeV/c
The simulated electron pair invariant mass distributions for electrons at $2.5 < p_{T} < 3$ GeV/c
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