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.
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