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 determine rapidity asymmetry in the production of charged pions, protons and anti-protons for large transverse momentum (pT) for d+Au collisions at \sqrt s_NN = 200 GeV. The identified hadrons are measured in the rapidity regions |y| < 0.5 and 0.5 < |y| < 1.0 for the pT range 2.5 < pT < 10 GeV/c. We observe significant rapidity asymmetry for charged pion and proton+anti-proton production in both rapidity regions. The asymmetry is larger for 0.5 < |y| < 1.0 than for |y|< 0.5 and is almost independent of particle type. The measurements are compared to various model predictions employing multiple scattering, energy loss, nuclear shadowing, saturation effects, and recombination, and also to a phenomenological parton model. We find that asymmetries are sensitive to model parameters and show model-preference. The rapidity dependence of \pi^{-}/\pi^{+} and \bar{p}/p ratios in peripheral d+Au and forward neutron-tagged events are used to study the contributions of valence quarks and gluons to particle production at high pT. The results are compared to calculations based on NLO pQCD and other measurements of quark fragmentation functions.
High transverse-momentum spectra ($p_{T} > 2.5$ GeV/c) of charged pions, protons, and antiprotons for the rapidity regions $|y| < 0.5$ (solid symbols) and $0.5 < |y| < 1.0$ (open symbols) for $d+Au$ collisions and various event centrality classes at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV.
High transverse-momentum spectra ($p_{T} > 2.5$ GeV/c) of charged pions, protons, and antiprotons for the rapidity regions $|y| < 0.5$ (solid symbols) and $0.5 < |y| < 1.0$ (open symbols) for $d+Au$ collisions and various event centrality classes at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV.
High transverse-momentum spectra ($p_{T} > 2.5$ GeV/c) of charged pions, protons, and antiprotons for the rapidity regions $|y| < 0.5$ (solid symbols) and $0.5 < |y| < 1.0$ (open symbols) for $d+Au$ collisions and various event centrality classes at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV.
We study the energy dependence of the transverse momentum (pT) spectra for charged pions, protons and anti-protons for Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_NN} = 62.4 and 200 GeV. Data are presented at mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.5) for 0.2 < pT < 12 GeV/c. In the intermediate pT region (2 < pT < 6 GeV/c), the nuclear modification factor is higher at 62.4 GeV than at 200 GeV, while at higher pT (pT >7 GeV/c) the modification is similar for both energies. The p/pi+ and pbar/pi- ratios for central collisions at \sqrt{s_NN} = 62.4 GeV peak at pT ~ 2 GeV/c. In the pT range where recombination is expected to dominate, the p/pi+ ratios at 62.4 GeV are larger than at 200 GeV, while the pbar/pi- ratios are smaller. For pT > 2 GeV/c, the pbar/pi- ratios at the two beam energies are independent of pT and centrality indicating that the dependence of the pbar/pi- ratio on pT does not change between 62.4 and 200 GeV. These findings challenge various models incorporating jet quenching and/or constituent quark coalescence.
Midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) transverse momentum spectra for pions, protons, anti-protons for various event centrality classes for Au+Au at sqrt(sNN) = 62.4 GeV. Also shown to study the energy dependence are the central 0-12% pion, proton, anti-proton spectra for Au+Au at sqrt(sNN) = 200 GeV.
The insets show pi−/pi+ ratios at sqrt(sNN) = 62.4 GeV and anti-proton/proton ratios at sqrt(sNN) = 62.4 (0-10%) and 200 GeV (0-12%).
The minimum bias data shown here were extracted from the figures by xyscan. Hence, the dataset is not full (especially in the lower pT range where it is hard to distinguish points), and the statistical errors shown here are an upper limit of the statistical uncertainty based on the marker sizes.
Azimuthal angle (Delta phi) correlations are presented for a broad range of transverse momentum (0.4 < pT < 10 GeV/c) and centrality (0-92%) selections for charged hadrons from di-jets in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. With increasing pT, the away-side Delta phi distribution evolves from a broad and relatively flat shape to a concave shape, then to a convex shape. Comparisons to p+p data suggest that the away-side distribution can be divided into a partially suppressed head region centered at Delta phi ~ \pi, and an enhanced shoulder region centered at Delta phi ~ \pi \pm 1:1. The pT spectrum for the associated hadrons in the head region softens toward central collisions. The spectral slope for the shoulder region is independent of centrality and trigger pT . The properties of the near-side distributions are also modified relative to those in p + p collisions, reflected by the broadening of the jet shape in Delta phi and Delta eta, and an enhancement of the per-trigger yield. However, these modifications seem to be limited to pT < 4 GeV/c, above which both the dihadron pair shape and per-trigger yield become similar to p + p collisions. These observations suggest that both the away- and near-side distributions contain a jet fragmentation component which dominates for pT \ge 5GeV and a medium-induced component which is important for pT \le 4 GeV/c. We also quantify the role of jets at intermediate and low pT through the yield of jet-induced pairs in comparison to binary scaled p + p pair yield. The yield of jet-induced pairs is suppressed at high pair proxy energy (sum of the pT magnitudes of the two hadrons) and is enhanced at low pair proxy energy. The former is consistent with jet quenching/ the latter is consistent with the enhancement of soft hadron pairs due to transport of lost energy to lower pT.
The 0-20% Au+Au jet-induced hadron-pair yield $\Delta\phi$ distributions calculated from the per-trigger yield using low-$p_T$ hadrons as triggers and high-$p_T$ hadrons as triggers. Data for 2 - 3 GeV/$c$.
Per-trigger yield versus $\Delta\phi$ for various trigger and partner $p_T$ ($p^a_T \otimes p^b_T$), arranged by increasing pair proxy energy (sum of $p^a_T$ and $p^b_T$), in p + p collisions for 5-10 $\otimes$ 2-3, 4-5 $\otimes$ 4-5, 5-10 $\otimes$ 3-5, and 5-10 $\otimes$ 5-10 GeV/c.
The 0-20% Au+Au jet-induced hadron-pair yield $\Delta\phi$ distributions calculated from the per-trigger yield using low-$p_T$ hadrons as triggers and high-$p_T$ hadrons as triggers. Data for 3 - 4 GeV/$c$.
The short-lived $K(892)^{*}$ resonance provides an efficient tool to probe properties of the hot and dense medium produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We report measurements of $K^{*}$ in $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV Au+Au and $p+p$ collisions reconstructed via its hadronic decay channels $K(892)^{*0} \to K\pi$ and $K(892)^{*\pm} \to K_S^0\pi^{\pm}$ using the STAR detector at RHIC. The $K^{*0}$ mass has been studied as a function of $p_T$ in minimum bias $p+p$ and central Au+Au collisions. The $K^{*}$ $p_T$ spectra for minimum bias $p+p$ interactions and for Au+Au collisions in different centralities are presented. The $K^{*}/K$ yield ratios for all centralities in Au+Au collisions are found to be significantly lower than the ratio in minimum bias $p+p$ collisions, indicating the importance of hadronic interactions between chemical and kinetic freeze-outs. A significant non-zero $K^{*0}$ elliptic flow ($v_2$) is observed in Au+Au collisions and compared to the $K_S^0$ and $\Lambda$ $v_2$. The nuclear modification factor of $K^{*}$ at intermediate $p_{T}$ is similar to that of $K_{S}^{0}$, but different from $\Lambda$. This establishes a baryon-meson effect over a mass effect in the particle production at intermediate $p_T$ ($2 < p_T \leq 4$ GeV/$c$).
$K_S^0$ signal observed in the $\pi^+\pi^−$ invariant mass distribution reconstructed from the decay topology method via $K_S^0->\pi^+\pi^−$ in $p+p$ collisions. The dashed curve depicts the Gaussian fit function plus a linear function representing the background.
The $K\pi$ invariant mass distributions after event-mixing background subtraction (open star symbols) and like-sign background subtraction with different daughter momentum cuts (0.2 < Kaon and Pion p < 10 GeV/$c$ for filled square symbols, 0.2 < Kaon $p$ < 0.7 GeV/$c$ and 0.2 < Pion $p$ < 10 GeV/$c$ for open triangle symbols) demonstrating the sources of the residual background in minimum bias Au+Au collisions. The open triangle symbols have been scaled up by a factor of 3 in order to increase the visibility. The arrow depicts the standard $K^{*0}$ mass of 896.1 MeV/$c^2$.
The $K\pi$ invariant mass distribution integrated over the $K^*$ $p_T$ for central Au+Au (upper panel) and minimum bias $p + p$ (lower panel) interactions after the mixed-event background subtraction. The solid curves are the fits to Eq. 5 with $T_{fo}$ = 120 MeV and $p_T$ = 1.8 GeV/$c$ for central Au+Au and $T_{fo}$ = 160 MeV and $p_T$ = 0.8 GeV/$c$ for p+p, respectively. The dashed lines are the linear function representing the residual background.
Transverse mass and rapidity distributions for charged pions, charged kaons, protons and antiprotons are reported for sqrt{s_NN}=200 GeV pp and Au+Au collisions at RHIC. The transverse mass distributions are rapidity independent within |y|<0.5, consistent with a boost-invariant system in this rapidity interval. Spectral shapes and relative particle yields are similar in pp and peripheral Au+Au collisions and change smoothly to central Au+Au collisions. No centrality dependence was observed in the kaon and antiproton production rates relative to the pion production rate from medium-central to central collisions. Chemical and kinetic equilibrium model fits to our data reveal strong radial flow and relatively long duration from chemical to kinetic freeze-out in central Au+Au collisions. The chemical freeze-out temperature appears to be independent of initial conditions at RHIC energies.
invariant yield as function of transverse mass for $\pi^{\pm},K^{\pm}$ and inclusive $p$ and $\bar{p}$ at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.1$) for pp (bottom) and Au+Au events from $70-80\%$ (second bottom) to the $0-5\%$ centrality bin (top). Statistical and point-to-point systematic errors have been added in quadrature. Additional correlated systematic error due to uncertainty in the normalization is estimated to be $5\%$. Open circles are for positive particles (all proton spectra are scaled by 0.8), and closed triangles are for negative particles. The curves shown (Bose-Einstein fits for $\pi^-$ and blast-wave model fits for $K^-$ and $\bar{p}$) are explained in the text.
invariant yield as function of transverse mass for $\pi^{\pm},K^{\pm}$ and inclusive $p$ and $\bar{p}$ at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.1$) for pp (bottom) and Au+Au events from $70-80\%$ (second bottom) to the $0-5\%$ centrality bin (top). Statistical and point-to-point systematic errors have been added in quadrature. Additional correlated systematic error due to uncertainty in the normalization is estimated to be $5\%$. Open circles are for positive particles (all proton spectra are scaled by 0.8), and closed triangles are for negative particles. The curves shown (Bose-Einstein fits for $\pi^-$ and blast-wave model fits for $K^-$ and $\bar{p}$) are explained in the text.
invariant yield as function of transverse mass for $\pi^{\pm},K^{\pm}$ and inclusive $p$ and $\bar{p}$ at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.1$) for pp (bottom) and Au+Au events from $70-80\%$ (second bottom) to the $0-5\%$ centrality bin (top). Statistical and point-to-point systematic errors have been added in quadrature. Additional correlated systematic error due to uncertainty in the normalization is estimated to be $5\%$. Open circles are for positive particles (all proton spectra are scaled by 0.8), and closed triangles are for negative particles. The curves shown (Bose-Einstein fits for $\pi^-$ and blast-wave model fits for $K^-$ and $\bar{p}$) are explained in the text.
We report STAR measurements of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry A_LL, the transverse single-spin asymmetry A_N, and the transverse double-spin asymmetries A_Sigma and A_TT for inclusive jet production at mid-rapidity in polarized p+p collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt{s} = 200 GeV. The data represent integrated luminosities of 7.6 /pb with longitudinal polarization and 1.8 /pb with transverse polarization, with 50-55% beam polarization, and were recorded in 2005 and 2006. No evidence is found for the existence of statistically significant jet A_N, A_Sigma, or A_TT at mid-rapidity. Recent model calculations indicate the A_N results may provide new limits on the gluon Sivers distribution in the proton. The asymmetry A_LL significantly improves the knowledge of gluon polarization in the nucleon.
(color online) $A_{N}$ as a function of the corrected mean $p_{T}$ for 2006 transverse data. The panels present $A_{N}$ for four different $\eta$ bins. $A_{N}$ is the left-right single-spin asymmetry for a transversely polarized beam. The errors shown combine the statistical uncertainties, which dominate, with all systematic uncertainties except trigger and reconstruction bias. See Sect. V A for a discussion of the latter.
(color online) $A_{N}$ as a function of the corrected mean $p_{T}$ for 2006 transverse data. The panels present $A_{N}$ for four different $\eta$ bins. $A_{N}$ is the left-right single-spin asymmetry for a transversely polarized beam. The errors shown combine the statistical uncertainties, which dominate, with all systematic uncertainties except trigger and reconstruction bias. See Sect. V A for a discussion of the latter.
(color online) $A_{N}$ as a function of the corrected mean $p_{T}$ for 2006 transverse data. The panels present $A_{N}$ for four different $\eta$ bins. $A_{N}$ is the left-right single-spin asymmetry for a transversely polarized beam. The errors shown combine the statistical uncertainties, which dominate, with all systematic uncertainties except trigger and reconstruction bias. See Sect. V A for a discussion of the latter.
Previous experimental results based on data (15 million events) collected by the STAR detector at RHIC suggest event-by-event charge separation fluctuations perpendicular to the event plane in non-central heavy-ion collisions. Here we present the correlator previously used split into its two component parts to reveal correlations parallel and perpendicular to the event plane. The results are from a high statistics 200 GeV Au+Au collisions data set (57 million events) collected by the STAR experiment. We explicitly count units of charge separation from which we find clear evidence for more charge separation fluctuations perpendicular than parallel to the event plane. We also employ a modified correlator to study the possible P-even background in same and opposite charge correlations, and find that the P-even background may largely be explained by momentum conservation and collective motion.
(Color online) $\Delta RMS^{\Delta Q}/\langle RMS^{\Delta Q}\rangle$ versus centrality for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$= 200 GeV. Not corrected for event plane resolution. Errors are statistical only.
(Color online) $\langle sin(\phi_{\alpha} − \Psi_{1})\rangle$ for positive and negative charges versus centrality for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$= 200 GeV. Shaded area represents the systematic uncertainty for both charge types obtained by comparing correlations from positive and negative pseudorapidity.
(Color online) Three-point correlator, Eq. 1, measured with $1^{st}$ and $2^{nd}$ harmonic event planes versus centrality for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$= 200 GeV. Shown with crosses are our previous results from the 2004 RHIC run (Y4) [9, 10]. The Y4 run used a second harmonic event plane. Y4 and Y7 $\Psi_{2}$ results are consistent within statistical errors. Shaded areas for the $2^{nd}$ harmonic points represent the systematic uncertainty of the event plane determination. Systematic uncertainties for the $1^{st}$ harmonic points are negligible compared to the statistical ones shown.
We present first measurements of the $\phi$-meson elliptic flow ($v_{2}(p_{T})$) and high statistics $p_{T}$ distributions for different centralities from $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. In minimum bias collisions the $v_{2}$ of the $\phi$ meson is consistent with the trend observed for mesons. The ratio of the yields of the $\Omega$ to those of the $\phi$ as a function of transverse momentum is consistent with a model based on the recombination of thermal $s$ quarks up to $p_{T}\sim 4$ GeV/$c$, but disagrees at higher momenta. The nuclear modification factor ($R_{CP}$) of $\phi$ follows the trend observed in the $K^{0}_{S}$ mesons rather than in $\Lambda$ baryons, supporting baryon-meson scaling. Since $\phi$-mesons are made via coalescence of seemingly thermalized $s$ quarks in central Au+Au collisions, the observations imply hot and dense matter with partonic collectivity has been formed at RHIC.
The elliptic flow, $v_{2}$($p_{T}$), for the $\phi$-meson as a function of centrality. The vertical error bars represent the statistical errors while the shaded bands represent the systematic uncertainties. For clarity, data points are shifted slightly.
(color online) Transverse momentum distributions of $\phi$-mesons from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. For clarity, distributions for different centralities are scaled by factors of ten. Dashed lines represent the exponential fits to the distributions and the dotted lines are Levy function fits. Error bars represent statistical errors only.
(color online) The $N(\Omega)/N(\phi)$ ratio vs. $p_{T}$ for three centrality bins in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions. The solid and dashed lines represent recombination model predictions for central collisions [21] for total and thermal contributions, respectively.
Measurements of the production of forward pi0 mesons from p+p and d+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV are reported. The p+p yield generally agrees with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The d+Au yield per binary collision is suppressed as eta increases, decreasing to ~30% of the p+p yield at <eta>=4.00, well below shadowing expectations. Exploratory measurements of azimuthal correlations of the forward pi0 with charged hadrons at eta~0 show a recoil peak in p+p that is suppressed in d+Au at low pion energy. These observations are qualitatively consistent with a saturation picture of the low-x gluon structure of heavy nuclei.
Inclusive $\pi^{0}$ cross section for p+p collisions versus the leading $\pi^{0}$ energy ($E_{\pi}$) averaged over 5 GeV bins at fixed pseudorapidity ($\eta$). The error bars combine statistical and point-to-point systematic errors. The curves are NLO pQCD calculations using two sets of fragmentation functions (FF).
Inclusive $\pi^{0}$ cross section per binary collision for d+Au collisions, as in Fig. 1. The curves are calculations described in the text. (Inset) Diphoton invariant mass spectrum for data (stars), normalized to simulation (histogram).
Nuclear modification factor ($R_{dAu}$) for minimum-bias d+Au collisions versus transverse momentum ($p_{T}$). The solid circles are for $\pi^{0}$ mesons. The open circles and boxes are for negative hadrons [10]. The error bars are statistical, while the shaded boxes are point-to-point systematic errors. (Inset) $R_{dAu}$ for $\pi^{0}$ mesons with the ratio of curves in Figs. 2 and 1.
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