Anisotropies in the initial energy density distribution of the quark-gluon plasma created in high energy heavy ion collisions lead to anisotropies in the azimuthal distributions of the final-state particles known as collective flow. Fourier harmonic decomposition is used to quantify these anisotropies. The higher-order harmonics can be induced by the same order anisotropies (linear response) or by the combined influence of several lower order anisotropies (nonlinear response) in the initial state. The mixed higher-order anisotropic flow and nonlinear response coefficients of charged particles are measured as functions of transverse momentum and centrality in PbPb collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} =$ 2.76 and 5.02 TeV with the CMS detector. The results are compared with viscous hydrodynamic calculations using several different initial conditions, as well as microscopic transport model calculations. None of the models provides a simultaneous description of the mixed higher-order flow harmonics and nonlinear response coefficients.
We have studied the properties of hadron production in photon-photon scattering with tagged photons at the e + e − storage ring PETRA. A tail in the p T distribution of particles consistent with p T −4 has been observed. We show that this tail cannot be due to the hadronic part of the photon. Selected events with high p T particles are found to be consistent with a two-jet structure as expected from a point-like coupling of the photons to quarks. The lowest-order cross section predicted for γγ → q q , σ = 3 Σ e q 4 · σ γγ → μμ , is approached from above by the data at large transverse momenta.
Azimuthal correlations of charged particles in xenon-xenon collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $ \sqrt{s_{_\mathrm{NN}}} =$ 5.44 TeV are studied. The data were collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC with a total integrated luminosity of 3.42 $\mu$b$^{-1}$. The collective motion of the system formed in the collision is parameterized by a Fourier expansion of the azimuthal particle density distribution. The azimuthal anisotropy coefficients $v_{2}$, $v_{3}$, and $v_{4}$ are obtained by the scalar-product, two-particle correlation, and multiparticle correlation methods. Within a hydrodynamic picture, these methods have different sensitivities to non-collective and fluctuation effects. The dependence of the Fourier coefficients on the size of the colliding system is explored by comparing the xenon-xenon results with equivalent lead-lead data. Model calculations that include initial-state fluctuation effects are also compared to the experimental results. The observed angular correlations provide new constraints on the hydrodynamic description of heavy ion collisions.
The transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) distributions of $\Lambda$, $\Xi^-$, and $\Omega^-$ baryons, their antiparticles, and K$^0_\mathrm{S}$ mesons are measured in proton-proton (pp) and proton-lead (pPb) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV over a broad rapidity range. The data, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 40.2 nb$^{-1}$ and 15.6 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ for pp and pPb collisions, respectively, were collected by the CMS experiment. The nuclear modification factor $R_\mathrm{pPb}$, defined as the ratio of the particle yield in pPb collisions and a scaled pp reference, is measured for each particle. A strong dependence on particle species is observed in the $p_\mathrm{T}$ range from 2 to 7 GeV, where $R_\mathrm{pPb}$ for K$^0_\mathrm{S}$ is consistent with unity, while an enhancement ordered by strangeness content and/or particle mass is observed for the three baryons. In pPb collisions, the strange hadron production is asymmetric about the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass rapidity. Enhancements, which depend on the particle type, are observed in the direction of the Pb beam. The results are compared to predictions from EPOS LHC, which includes parametrized radial flow. The model is in qualitative agreement with the $R_\mathrm{pPb}$ data, but fails to describe the dependence on particle species in the yield asymmetries measured away from mid-rapidity in pPb collisions.
Data on multiplicities of charged particles produced in proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at 200 GeV per nucleon are presented. It is shown that the mean multiplicity of negative particles is proportional to the mean number of nucleons participating in the collision both for nucleus-nucleus and proton-nucleus collisions. The apparent consistency of pion multiplicity data with the assumption of an incoherent superposition of nucleon-nucleon collisions is critically discussed.
Inclusive e+e− production in 17-GeV/c π−p collisions has been measured. An excess of e+e− pairs over those from known sources for 0.1<~mee<~0.6 GeV and x<0.5 was found. No evidence is found for enhancements in specific final states involving electrons and photons or charged particles. The photon multiplicity associated with these pairs is measured.
Balance functions have been measured in terms of relative pseudorapidity ($\Delta \eta$) for charged particle pairs at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 7.7 GeV to 200 GeV using the STAR detector. These results are compared with balance functions measured at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV by the ALICE Collaboration. The width of the balance function decreases as the collisions become more central and as the beam energy is increased. In contrast, the widths of the balance functions calculated using shuffled events show little dependence on centrality or beam energy and are larger than the observed widths. Balance function widths calculated using events generated by UrQMD are wider than the measured widths in central collisions and show little centrality dependence. The measured widths of the balance functions in central collisions are consistent with the delayed hadronization of a deconfined quark gluon plasma (QGP). The narrowing of the balance function in central collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 7.7 GeV implies that a QGP is still being created at this relatively low energy.
The extreme temperatures and energy densities generated by ultra-relativistic collisions between heavy nuclei produce a state of matter with surprising fluid properties. Non-central collisions have angular momentum on the order of 1000$\hbar$, and the resulting fluid may have a strong vortical structure that must be understood to properly describe the fluid. It is also of particular interest because the restoration of fundamental symmetries of quantum chromodynamics is expected to produce novel physical effects in the presence of strong vorticity. However, no experimental indications of fluid vorticity in heavy ion collisions have so far been found. Here we present the first measurement of an alignment between the angular momentum of a non-central collision and the spin of emitted particles, revealing that the fluid produced in heavy ion collisions is by far the most vortical system ever observed. We find that $\Lambda$ and $\overline{\Lambda}$ hyperons show a positive polarization of the order of a few percent, consistent with some hydrodynamic predictions. A previous measurement that reported a null result at higher collision energies is seen to be consistent with the trend of our new observations, though with larger statistical uncertainties. These data provide the first experimental access to the vortical structure of the "perfect fluid" created in a heavy ion collision. They should prove valuable in the development of hydrodynamic models that quantitatively connect observations to the theory of the Strong Force. Our results extend the recent discovery of hydrodynamic spin alignment to the subatomic realm.
We present cross sections for coherent and non-coherent production of one, two and three pions in pd reactions at 19 GeV/ c . The mass distributions of the two pion non-coherent channels are studied. Strong single Δ(1236) and also some double Δ production is observed. Clear evidence for ϱ production is seen.
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