The minimum bias multiplicity distribution and the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity distributions for central collisions have been measured for negative hadrons (h-) in Au+Au interactions at sqrt(s_nn) = 130 GeV. The multiplicity density at midrapidity for the 5% most central interactions is dNh-/deta|_{eta = 0} = 280 +- 1(stat)+- 20(syst), an increase per participant of 38% relative to ppbar collisions at the same energy. The mean transverse momentum is 0.508 +- 0.012 GeV/c and is larger than in central Pb+Pb collisions at lower energies. The scaling of the h- yield per participant is a strong function of pt. The pseudorapidity distribution is almost constant within |eta|<1.
Normalized multiplicity distribution of $h^{−}$ with $p_{T} > 100$ MeV/$c$ at $|\eta| < 0.5$ in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 130$ GeV. Systematic error on the vertical scale is estimated to be $10\%$. The systematic error on the horizontal scale is $6\%$ for the entire range of multiplicity. The shaded area is $5\%$ most central collisions, selected by ZDC coincidence. The solid curve is the prediction from the HIJING model.
$h^{−}$ $p_{T}$-spectra for the $5\%$ most central Au+Au collisions at midrapidity ($|\eta| < 0.1$) for several systems. The correlated systematical error is estimated to be below $6\%$. The curves are power-law fits to the data.
ratio of STAR and scaled UA1 $p_{T}$-distributions. The errors given are the errors of the STAR data only and do not include the systematic errors from the scaling of the UA1 data to $130$ GeV (i.e., the shaded region in Fig.2 lower panel). The STAR data is for the $5\%$ most central collisions.
We report the first measurement of strange ($\Lambda$) and anti-strange ($\bar{\Lambda}$) baryon production from $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=130$ GeV Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Rapidity density and transverse mass distributions at mid-rapidity are presented as a function of centrality. The yield of $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons is found to be approximately proportional to the number of negative hadrons. The production of $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons relative to negative hadrons increases very rapidly with transverse momentum. The magnitude of the increase cannot be described by existing hadronic string fragmentation models.
Transverse mass distributions of $\Lambda$ at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.5$) for selected centrality bins. Only statistical errors are listed. Combined systematic errors estimated to be $10\%$. The dashed lines are Boltzmann fits. Note that multiplicative factors have been applied to data from the two most central data sets for display.
Transverse mass distributions of $\bar\Lambda$ at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.5$) for selected centrality bins. Only statistical errors are listed. Combined systematic errors estimated to be $10\%$. The dashed lines are Boltzmann fits. Note that multiplicative factors have been applied to data from the two most central data sets for display.
The mid-rapidity $\bar\Lambda$ ($|y|<0.5$) transverse momentum distribution from the top $5\%$ most central collisions. For comparison the distributions for negative hadrons ($d^{2}N/(2 \pi p_{T})dp_{T}d\eta$, $|\eta|<0.1$) and anti-protons ($|y|<0.1$) for the similar centrality bin are included. Only statistical errors are listed. Statistical errors are less than the size of the data points. Combined systematic errors on hyperons estimated to be $10\%$. Correlated systematic errors for negative hadrons estimated to be $6\%$. Systematic errors on antiprotons are $8\%$ point-to-point and $10\%$ in the overall normalization.
We report results on rho(770)^0 -> pi+pi- production at midrapidity in p+p and peripheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. This is the first direct measurement of rho(770)^0 -> pi+pi- in heavy-ion collisions. The measured rho^0 peak in the invariant mass distribution is shifted by ~40 MeV/c^2 in minimum bias p+p interactions and ~70 MeV/c^2 in peripheral Au+Au collisions. The rho^0 mass shift is dependent on transverse momentum and multiplicity. The modification of the rho^0 meson mass, width, and shape due to phase space and dynamical effects are discussed.
The raw $\pi^{+} \pi^{-}$ invariant mass distributions after subtraction of the like-sign reference distribution for minimum bias p+p (top) and peripheral Au+Au (bottom) interactions.
The raw $\pi^{+} \pi^{-}$ invariant mass (solid line) and the like-sign reference distributions (open circles) for peripheral Au+Au collisions.
The $\rho^{0}$ mass as a function of $p_{T}$ for minimum bias $p$+$p$ (filled circles), high multiplicity $p$+$p$ (open triangles), and peripheral Au+Au (filled squares) collisions. The error bars indicate the systematic uncertainty. Statistical errors are negligible. The $\rho^{0}$ mass was obtained by fitting the data to the BW×PS functional form described in the text. The dashed lines represent the average of the $\rho^{0}$ mass measured in $e^{+} e^{−}$. The shaded areas indicate the ρ0 mass measured in $p$+$p$ collisions. The open triangles have been shifted downward on the abscissa by $50$ MeV/$c$ for clarity.
We present the results of charged particle fluctuations measurements in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=130$ GeV using the STAR detector. Dynamical fluctuations measurements are presented for inclusive charged particle multiplicities as well as for identified charged pions, kaons, and protons. The net charge dynamical fluctuations are found to be large and negative providing clear evidence that positive and negative charged particle production is correlated within the pseudorapidity range investigated. Correlations are smaller than expected based on model-dependent predictions for a resonance gas or a quark gluon gas which undergoes fast hadronization and freeze-out. Qualitative agreement is found with comparable scaled p+p measurements and a HIJING model calculation based on independent particle collisions, although a small deviation from the 1/N scaling dependence expected from this model is observed.
Dynamical fluctuations, $ν_{+−,dyn}$, measured in $|\eta| ≤ 0.5$ as a function of the collision centrality estimated with the total (uncorrected) multiplicity, M, in $|\eta| < 0.75$. Only statistical errors are listed. Systematic errors estimated at $5\%$.
$\langle N\rangle ν_{+−,dyn}$ measured in $|\eta| ≤ 0.5$ vs M (opened circles) compared to the charge conservation limit (dotted line), resonance gas expectation based on ref.[5](solid line); and HIJING calculation (solid squares). Only statistical errors are listed. Systematic errors estimated at $10\%$.
Fluctuations $ν_{+−,dyn}$ for the $6\%$ most central collisions as a function of the range of integrated pseudorapidities. The expected limit due to charge conservation is shown as a dotted line.
We present the first measurement of the proton-$\Omega$ correlation function in heavy-ion collisions for central (0-40$\%$) and peripheral (40-80$\%$) Au+Au collisions at \sqrtsNN\,\,=200 GeV by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). Predictions for the ratio of peripheral collisions to central collisions for the proton-$\Omega$ correlation function are sensitive to the presence of a nucleon-$\Omega$ bound state. These predictions are based on the proton-$\Omega$ interaction extracted from (2+1)-flavor lattice QCD calculations at the physical point. The measured ratio of proton-$\Omega$ correlation function from peripheral (small system) to central (large system) collisions is less than unity for relative momentum smaller than 40 MeV/c. Comparison of our measured correlation ratio with the theoretical calculation slightly favors a proton-$\Omega$ bound system with a binding energy of $\sim$ 27~MeV.
Measured correlation function (C($k^{*}$)) for proton-$\Omega$ and antiproton-$\bar{\Omega}$ (P$\Omega$ + $\bar{P}$$\bar{\Omega}$) for (0-40)$\%$ and (40-80$\%$) Au+Au collisons at $\sqrt{s}_{NN}$ = 200 GeV. The errors are statistical and systematic.
Ratio of small system (40-80$\%$) to large system (0-40$\%$) for proton-$\Omega$ and antiproton-$\bar{\Omega}$ (P$\Omega$ + $\bar{P}$$\Omega$). The errors are statistical and symmetric.
We report on the measurements of directed flow $v_1$ and elliptic flow $v_2$ for hadrons ($\pi^{\pm}$, $K^{\pm}$, $K_{S}^0$, $p$, $\phi$, $\Lambda$ and $\Xi^{-}$) from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV and $v_{2}$ for ($\pi^{\pm}$, $K^{\pm}$, $p$ and $\overline{p}$) at 27 and 54.4 GeV with the STAR experiment. While at the two higher energy midcentral collisions the number-of-constituent-quark (NCQ) scaling holds, at 3 GeV the $v_{2}$ at midrapidity is negative for all hadrons and the NCQ scaling is absent. In addition, the $v_1$ slopes at midrapidity for almost all observed hadrons are found to be positive, implying dominant repulsive baryonic interactions. The features of negative $v_2$ and positive $v_1$ slope at 3 GeV can be reproduced with a baryonic mean-field in transport model calculations. These results imply that the medium in such collisions is likely characterized by baryonic interactions.
Event plane resolution as a function of collision centrality from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=3 (a), 27 and 54.4 GeV (b). In case of the 3 GeV collisions, $\Psi_{1}$ is used to determine the event plane resolutions for the first and second harmonic coefficients shown as $R_{11}$ and $R_{12}$ in left panel. In the 27 and 54.4 GeV collisions, $\Psi_{2}$ is used to evaluate the second order event plane resolution, see right panel. In all cases, the statistic uncertainties are smaller than symbol sizes.
Rapidity($y$) dependence of $v_1$ (top panels) and $v_2$ (bottom panels) of proton and $\Lambda$ baryons (left panels), pions (middle panels) and kaons (right panels) in 10-40% centrality for the $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3GeV Au+Au collisions. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are shown as bars and gray bands, respectively. Some uncertainties are smaller than the data points. The UrQMD and JAM results are shown as bands:golden, red and blue bands stand for JAM mean-field, UrQMD mean-field and UrQMD cascade mode, respectively. The value of the incompressibility $\kappa$ = 380 MeV is used in the mean-field option. More detailed model descriptions and data comparisons can be found in Supplemental Material.
Rapidity($y$) dependence of $v_1$ (top panels) and $v_2$ (bottom panels) of proton and $\Lambda$ baryons (left panels), pions (middle panels) and kaons (right panels) in 10-40% centrality for the $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3GeV Au+Au collisions. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are shown as bars and gray bands, respectively. Some uncertainties are smaller than the data points. The UrQMD and JAM results are shown as bands:golden, red and blue bands stand for JAM mean-field, UrQMD mean-field and UrQMD cascade mode, respectively. The value of the incompressibility $\kappa$ = 380 MeV is used in the mean-field option. More detailed model descriptions and data comparisons can be found in Supplemental Material.
We report here the first observation of directed flow ($v_1$) of the hypernuclei $^3_{\Lambda}$H and $^4_{\Lambda}$H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 3 GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165 $\times$ 10$^{6}$ events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 $^3_{\Lambda}$H and 5200 $^4_{\Lambda}$H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity $v_1$ slopes of $^3_{\Lambda}$H and $^4_{\Lambda}$H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in such collisions.
$\Lambda$ hyperon and hypernuclei directed flow $v_1$, shown as a function of rapidity, from the $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV 5-40% mid-central Au+Au collisions. In the case of $^{3}_{\Lambda}$H $v_1$, both two-body (dots) and three-body (triangles) decays are used. The linear terms of the fitting for $#Lambda$, $^{3}_{\Lambda}$H and $^{4}_{\Lambda}$H are shown as the yellow-red lines. The rapidity dependence of $v_1$ for $p$, $d$, $t$, $^3$He, and $^4$He are also shown as open markers (circles, diamonds, up-triangles, down-triangles and squares), and the linear terms of the fitting results are shown as dashed lines in the positive rapidity region.
$\Lambda$ hyperon and hypernuclei directed flow $v_1$, shown as a function of rapidity, from the $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV 5-40% mid-central Au+Au collisions. In the case of $^{3}_{\Lambda}$H $v_1$, both two-body (dots) and three-body (triangles) decays are used. The linear terms of the fitting for $#Lambda$, $^{3}_{\Lambda}$H and $^{4}_{\Lambda}$H are shown as the yellow-red lines. The rapidity dependence of $v_1$ for $p$, $d$, $t$, $^3$He, and $^4$He are also shown as open markers (circles, diamonds, up-triangles, down-triangles and squares), and the linear terms of the fitting results are shown as dashed lines in the positive rapidity region.
$\Lambda$ hyperon and hypernuclei directed flow $v_1$, shown as a function of rapidity, from the $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV 5-40% mid-central Au+Au collisions. In the case of $^{3}_{\Lambda}$H $v_1$, both two-body (dots) and three-body (triangles) decays are used. The linear terms of the fitting for $#Lambda$, $^{3}_{\Lambda}$H and $^{4}_{\Lambda}$H are shown as the yellow-red lines. The rapidity dependence of $v_1$ for $p$, $d$, $t$, $^3$He, and $^4$He are also shown as open markers (circles, diamonds, up-triangles, down-triangles and squares), and the linear terms of the fitting results are shown as dashed lines in the positive rapidity region.
We report cumulants of the proton multiplicity distribution from dedicated fixed-target Au+Au collisions at 3.0 GeV, measured by the STAR experiment in the kinematic acceptance of rapidity ($y$) and transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) within $-0.5 < y<0$ and $0.4 < p_{\rm T} <2.0 $ GeV/$c$. In the most central 0--5% collisions, a proton cumulant ratio is measured to be $C_4/C_2=-0.85 \pm 0.09 ~(\rm stat.) \pm 0.82 ~(\rm syst.)$, which is less than unity, the Poisson baseline. The hadronic transport UrQMD model reproduces our $C_4/C_2$ in the measured acceptance. Compared to higher energy results and the transport model calculations, the suppression in $C_4/C_2$ is consistent with fluctuations driven by baryon number conservation and indicates an energy regime dominated by hadronic interactions. These data imply that the QCD critical region, if created in heavy-ion collisions, could only exist at energies higher than 3 GeV.
$\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3.0 GeV data (black markers), GM (red histogram), and single and pile-up contributions from unfolding. Vertical lines on markers represent statistical uncertainties. Single, pile-up and single+pile-up collisions are shown in solid blue markers, dashed green and dashed magenta curves, respectively. Analysis is performed on 0–5% central events, indicated by a black arrow.
$\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3.0 GeV data (black markers), GM (red histogram), and single and pile-up contributions from unfolding. Vertical lines on markers represent statistical uncertainties. Single, pile-up and single+pile-up collisions are shown in solid blue markers, dashed green and dashed magenta curves, respectively. Analysis is performed on 0–5% central events, indicated by a black arrow.
Centrality dependence of the proton cumulant ratios for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3.0 GeV. Protons are from $-0.5 < y < 0$ and $0.4 < p_{T} < 2.0$ GeV/$c$. Systematic uncertainties are represented by gray bars. Statistical uncertainties are smaller than marker size. CBWC is applied to all cumulant ratios. While open squares represent the data without the VFC correction, blue triangles and red circles are the results with VFC using the $\langle N_{\rm{part}} \rangle$ distributions from the UrQMD and Glauber models, respectively. UrQMD model results are represented as gold dashed line.
We report a new measurement of the production of electrons from open heavy-flavor hadron decays (HFEs) at mid-rapidity ($|y|<$ 0.7) in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=200$ GeV. Invariant yields of HFEs are measured for the transverse momentum range of $3.5 < p_{\rm T} < 9$ GeV/$c$ in various configurations of the collision geometry. The HFE yields in head-on Au+Au collisions are suppressed by approximately a factor of 2 compared to that in $p$+$p$ collisions scaled by the average number of binary collisions, indicating strong interactions between heavy quarks and the hot and dense medium created in heavy-ion collisions. Comparison of these results with models provides additional tests of theoretical calculations of heavy quark energy loss in the quark-gluon plasma.
Ratios of NPE (non-photonic electron) to PHE (photonic electron) as a function of $p_{\rm T}$ in 0-10% central (yellow circles) and 40-80% peripheral (green squares) Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=200$ GeV. Vertical bars represent statistical uncertainties while boxes represent systematic uncertainties. Horizontal bars indicate the bin width.
Invariant yields of electrons from decays of prompt $J/\psi$ (dot-dashed line), $\Upsilon$ (dotted line), Drell-Yan (long dash-dotted line), light vector mesons (long dashed line) and the combined HDE (hadron decayed electron) contribution (solid line), estimated utilizing experimental measurements, theoretical calculations, and PYTHIA and $\rm E_{VT}G_{EN}$ event generators, in 0-10% central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=200$ GeV. Color bands represent systematic uncertainties.
Invariant yields of electrons from decays of prompt $J/\psi$ (dot-dashed line), $\Upsilon$ (dotted line), Drell-Yan (long dash-dotted line), light vector mesons (long dashed line) and the combined HDE (hadron decayed electron) contribution (solid line), estimated utilizing experimental measurements, theoretical calculations, and PYTHIA and $\rm E_{VT}G_{EN}$ event generators, in 40-80% central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=200$ GeV. Color bands represent systematic uncertainties.
We report a measurement of cumulants and correlation functions of event-by-event proton multiplicity distributions from fixed-target Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 3 GeV measured by the STAR experiment. Protons are identified within the rapidity ($y$) and transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) region $-0.9 < y<0$ and $0.4 < p_{\rm T} <2.0 $ GeV/$c$ in the center-of-mass frame. A systematic analysis of the proton cumulants and correlation functions up to sixth-order as well as the corresponding ratios as a function of the collision centrality, $p_{\rm T}$, and $y$ are presented. The effect of pileup and initial volume fluctuations on these observables and the respective corrections are discussed in detail. The results are compared to calculations from the hadronic transport UrQMD model as well as a hydrodynamic model. In the most central 5% collisions, the value of proton cumulant ratio $C_4/C_2$ is negative, drastically different from the values observed in Au+Au collisions at higher energies. Compared to model calculations including Lattice QCD, a hadronic transport model, and a hydrodynamic model, the strong suppression in the ratio of $C_4/C_2$ at 3 GeV Au+Au collisions indicates an energy regime dominated by hadronic interactions.
Reference multiplicity distributions obtained from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 3 GeV data (black markers), Glauber model (red histogram), and unfolding approach to separate single and pileup contributions. Vertical lines represent statistical uncertainties. Single, pileup, and single+pileup collisions are shown in solid blue markers, dashed green, and dashed pink lines, respectively. The 0–5% central events and 5–60% mid-central to peripheral events are indicated by black arrows. The ratio of the single+pileup to the measured multiplicity distribution is shown in the lower panel.
Reference multiplicity distributions obtained from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 3 GeV data (black markers), Glauber model (red histogram), and unfolding approach to separate single and pileup contributions. Vertical lines represent statistical uncertainties. Single, pileup, and single+pileup collisions are shown in solid blue markers, dashed green, and dashed pink lines, respectively. The 0–5% central events and 5–60% mid-central to peripheral events are indicated by black arrows. The ratio of the single+pileup to the measured multiplicity distribution is shown in the lower panel.
Proton cumulants as a function of reference multiplicity (black circles) from $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 3 GeV Au+Au collisions. Centrality-binned results with and without centrality bin width corrections are represented by red circles and blue squares, respectively. Vertical dashed lines indicate the centrality classes, from right to left: 0–5%, 5–10%, 10–20%. Data points in this figure are only corrected for detector efficiency but not for the pileup effect, which will be discussed in a later section.