A search for the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) critical point was performed by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, using dynamical fluctuations of unlike particle pairs. Heavy-ion collisions were studied over a large range of collision energies with homogeneous acceptance and excellent particle identification, covering a significant range in the QCD phase diagram where a critical point may be located. Dynamical $K\pi$, $p\pi$, and $Kp$ fluctuations as measured by the STAR experiment in central 0-5\% Au+Au collisions from center-of-mass collision energies $\rm \sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7 to 200 GeV are presented. The observable $\rm \nu_{dyn}$ was used to quantify the magnitude of the dynamical fluctuations in event-by-event measurements of the $K\pi$, $p\pi$, and $Kp$ pairs. The energy dependences of these fluctuations from central 0-5\% Au+Au collisions all demonstrate a smooth evolution with collision energy.
We present data on inclusive production ofK+ andKS0 mesons in a 70 GeV/cK+p experiment performed in BEBC filled withH2. Cross sections and inclusive Feynman-x distributions for identifiedK+'s andKS0's are presented. The spectra of “prompt” non-diffractiveKS0 are determined by subtraction of the decay products of prominent resonances and diffractive contributions. These data, contrary to the overall inclusive spectra, allow to differentiate between some fragmentation models for soft hadron-hadron interactions.
The yields and average transverse momenta of pions, kaons, and antiprotons produced at the Fermilab p¯p collider at s=300, 540, 1000, and 1800 GeV are presented and compared with data from the energies reached at the CERN collider. We also present data on the dependence of average transverse momentum 〈pt〉 and particle ratios as a function of charged particle density dNcdη; data for particle densities as high as six times the average value, corresponding to a Bjorken energy density 6 GeV/fm3, are reported. These data are relevant to the search for quark-gluon phase of QCD.
We have studied the inclusive production of the hadrons π ± , K ± , p, p , Λ, Λ , ρ and ⋉ in the central region at the ISR s = 53 GeV , in both pp and p p collisions. Differences are observed only for K ± , p, and p production. We then study also correlations between low- p T pp and p p pairs in the two types of collisions, separating the contribution from baryon pair production and from the incident particles (stopping protons). We observe a positive correlation between two stopping protons; between the production of two pairs, and between a stopping proton and a pair production, there are negative correlations.
Significant differences are observed between forward-produced Δ ++ (1232) and Λ 0 's in pp interactions and their corresponding anti-particles in p p interactions, as expected from quark counting and single q q annihilation. A possible relationship between these results and the p p -pp total cross section difference is discussed.
The ratios of high p T charged kaon to pion production cross sections at √ s = 45 and 62 GeV are presented. The values of the K ± π ± ratios are essentially independent of both √ s and x T = 2p T √s and are compatible with a strangeness suppression factor λ = 0.55. By contrast, the K − π − values fall with x T suggesting a gluonic origin of K − . QCD calculations agrees with the measurements.
Results on charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A and 30A GeV are presented and compared to data at lower and higher energies. A rapid change of the energy dependence is observed around 30A GeV for the yields of pions and kaons as well as for the shape of the transverse mass spectra. The change is compatible with the prediction that the threshold for production of a state of deconfined matter at the early stage of the collisions is located at low SPS energies.
Inclusive production of ϱ0,f, andg0 mesons and ofKs0,K*0 (892), ϕ andK*0(1430)mesons has been measured at <y>∼2.6 and <pT>∼1.1 GeV/c in proton-proton interactions at\(\sqrt s= 52.5\) GeV. The negative particle from the two-body decays of these resonances were identified by a threshold Cerenkov counter and used for triggering. Starting from the measured differential cross section, total inclusive cross sections for the vector and tensor mesons were determined using various parametrizations for they andpT dependence of the differential cross section. The experimental results are discussed in the framework of production models based on the parton picture. The strangeness suppresion factor λ=(0.30±0.10) due toSU(3) symmetry breaking of the quark sea is derived.
Results are given on the inclusive production of charged pions, kaons, and nucleons, in proton-proton collisions at c.m. energies from √ s = 23 to 63 GeV at large angles and for the transverse momentum range 0.1 < p T < 4.8 GeV/ c . The dependence of the production spectra on the collision energy √ s , the transverse momentum p T , and the longitudinal rapidity is discussed.
We present single inclusive π±, π0 andK± spectra in the forward fragmentation region (x>0.2,pT<1.5 GeV/c) as well as correlations between two charged particles. The data were recorded in an unseparated negative hadron beam at the CERN SPS using a large acceptance forward spectrometer. Our maasurements are compared in detail with several models which emphasise the role of the beam valence quarks in this production process. The connection to measurements at largepT is also investigated.
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