A search for physics beyond the standard model (SM) in the final state with a hadronically decaying tau lepton and a neutrino is presented. This analysis is based on data recorded by the CMS experiment from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{=1}$. The transverse mass spectrum is analyzed for the presence of new physics. No significant deviation from the SM prediction is observed. Limits are set on the production cross section of a W' boson decaying into a tau lepton and a neutrino. Lower limits are set on the mass of the sequential SM-like heavy charged vector boson and the mass of a quantum black hole. Upper limits are placed on the couplings of a new boson to the SM fermions. Constraints are put on a nonuniversal gauge interaction model and an effective field theory model. For the first time, upper limits on the cross section of $t$-channel leptoquark (LQ) exchange are presented. These limits are translated into exclusion limits on the LQ mass and on its coupling in the $t$-channel. The sensitivity of this analysis extends into the parameter space of LQ models that attempt to explain the anomalies observed in B meson decays. The limits presented for the various interpretations are the most stringent to date. Additionally, a model-independent limit is provided.

The STAR collaboration presents jet substructure measurements related to both the momentum fraction and the opening angle within jets in \pp and \AuAu collisions at \sqrtsn $= 200$ GeV. The substructure observables include SoftDrop groomed momentum fraction (\zg), groomed jet radius (\rg), and subjet momentum fraction (\zsj) and opening angle (\tsj). The latter observable is introduced for the first time. Fully corrected subjet measurements are presented for \pp collisions and are compared to leading order Monte Carlo models. The subjet \tsj~distributions reflect the jets leading opening angle and are utilized as a proxy for the resolution scale of the medium in \AuAu collisions. We compare data from \AuAu collisions to those from \pp which are embedded in minimum-bias \AuAu events in order to include the effects of detector smearing and the heavy-ion collision underlying event. The subjet observables are shown to be more robust to the background than \zg~and \rg. We observe no significant modifications of the subjet observables within the two highest-energy, back-to-back jets, resulting in a distribution of opening angles and the splittings that are vacuum-like. We also report measurements of the differential di-jet momentum imbalance ($A_{\rm{J}}$) for jets of varying \tsj. We find no qualitative differences in energy loss signatures for varying angular scales in the range $0.1 < $\tsj $ < 0.3$, leading to the possible interpretation that energy loss in this population of high momentum di-jet pairs, is due to soft medium-induced gluon radiation from a single color-charge as it traverses the medium.

The deconfined quark-gluon plasma (QGP) created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions enables the exploration of the fundamental properties of matter under extreme conditions. Non-central collisions can produce strong magnetic fields on the order of $10^{18}$ Gauss, which offers a probe into the electrical conductivity of the QGP. In particular, quarks and anti-quarks carry opposite charges and receive contrary electromagnetic forces that alter their momenta. This phenomenon can be manifested in the collective motion of final-state particles, specifically in the rapidity-odd directed flow, denoted as $v_1(\mathsf{y})$. Here we present the charge-dependent measurements of $dv_1/d\mathsf{y}$ near midrapidities for $\pi^{\pm}$, $K^{\pm}$, and $p(\bar{p})$ in Au+Au and isobar ($_{44}^{96}$Ru+$_{44}^{96}$Ru and $_{40}^{96}$Zr+$_{40}^{96}$Zr) collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=$ 200 GeV, and in Au+Au collisions at 27 GeV, recorded by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The combined dependence of the $v_1$ signal on collision system, particle species, and collision centrality can be qualitatively and semi-quantitatively understood as several effects on constituent quarks. While the results in central events can be explained by the $u$ and $d$ quarks transported from initial-state nuclei, those in peripheral events reveal the impacts of the electromagnetic field on the QGP. Our data put valuable constraints on the electrical conductivity of the QGP in theoretical calculations.

A search for flavor-changing neutral-current couplings between a top quark, an up or charm quark and a $Z$ boson is presented, using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analyzed dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The search targets both single-top-quark events produced as $gq\rightarrow tZ$ (with $q = u, c$) and top-quark-pair events, with one top quark decaying through the $t \rightarrow Zq$ channel. The analysis considers events with three leptons (electrons or muons), a $b$-tagged jet, possible additional jets, and missing transverse momentum. The data are found to be consistent with the background-only hypothesis and 95% confidence-level limits on the $t \rightarrow Zq$ branching ratios are set, assuming only tensor operators of the Standard Model effective field theory framework contribute to the $tZq$ vertices. These are $6.2 \times 10^{-5}$ ($13\times 10^{-5}$) for $t\rightarrow Zu$ ($t\rightarrow Zc$) for a left-handed $tZq$ coupling, and $6.6 \times 10^{-5}$ ($12\times 10^{-5}$) in the case of a right-handed coupling. These results are interpreted as 95% CL upper limits on the strength of corresponding couplings, yielding limits for $|C_{uW}^{(13)*}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(13)*}|$ ($|C_{uW}^{(31)}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(31)}|$) of 0.15 (0.16), and limits for $|C_{uW}^{(23)*}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(23)*}|$ ($|C_{uW}^{(32)}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(32)}|$) of 0.22 (0.21), assuming a new-physics energy scale $\Lambda_\text{NP}$ of 1 TeV.

The polarization of $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild $p_T$ dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagree with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and $p_T$ dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

Several extensions of the Standard Model predict the production of dark matter particles at the LHC. A search for dark matter particles produced in association with a dark Higgs boson decaying into $W^{+}W^{-}$ in the $\ell^\pm\nu q \bar q'$ final states with $\ell=e,\mu$ is presented. This analysis uses 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The $W^\pm \to q\bar q'$ decays are reconstructed from pairs of calorimeter-measured jets or from track-assisted reclustered jets, a technique aimed at resolving the dense topology from a pair of boosted quarks using jets in the calorimeter and tracking information. The observed data are found to agree with Standard Model predictions. Scenarios with dark Higgs boson masses ranging between 140 and 390 GeV are excluded.

Global polarizations ($P$) of $\Lambda$ ($\bar{\Lambda}$) hyperons have been observed in non-central heavy-ion collisions. The strong magnetic field primarily created by the spectator protons in such collisions would split the $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ global polarizations ($\Delta P = P_{\Lambda} - P_{\bar{\Lambda}} < 0$). Additionally, quantum chromodynamics (QCD) predicts topological charge fluctuations in vacuum, resulting in a chirality imbalance or parity violation in a local domain. This would give rise to an imbalance ($\Delta n = \frac{N_{\text{L}} - N_{\text{R}}}{\langle N_{\text{L}} + N_{\text{R}} \rangle} \neq 0$) between left- and right-handed $\Lambda$ ($\bar{\Lambda}$) as well as a charge separation along the magnetic field, referred to as the chiral magnetic effect (CME). This charge separation can be characterized by the parity-even azimuthal correlator ($\Delta\gamma$) and parity-odd azimuthal harmonic observable ($\Delta a_{1}$). Measurements of $\Delta P$, $\Delta\gamma$, and $\Delta a_{1}$ have not led to definitive conclusions concerning the CME or the magnetic field, and $\Delta n$ has not been measured previously. Correlations among these observables may reveal new insights. This paper reports measurements of correlation between $\Delta n$ and $\Delta a_{1}$, which is sensitive to chirality fluctuations, and correlation between $\Delta P$ and $\Delta\gamma$ sensitive to magnetic field in Au+Au collisions at 27 GeV. For both measurements, no correlations have been observed beyond statistical fluctuations.

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.

Measurements of the suppression and correlations of dijets is performed using 3 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ of Xe+Xe data at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.44$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Dijets with jets reconstructed using the $R=0.4$ anti-$k_t$ algorithm are measured differentially in jet $p_{\text{T}}$ over the range of 32 GeV to 398 GeV and the centrality of the collisions. Significant dijet momentum imbalance is found in the most central Xe+Xe collisions, which decreases in more peripheral collisions. Results from the measurement of per-pair normalized and absolutely normalized dijet $p_{\text{T}}$ balance are compared with previous Pb+Pb measurements at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} =5.02$ TeV. The differences between the dijet suppression in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb are further quantified by the ratio of pair nuclear-modification factors. The results are found to be consistent with those measured in Pb+Pb data when compared in classes of the same event activity and when taking into account the difference between the center-of-mass energies of the initial parton scattering process in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb collisions. These results should provide input for a better understanding of the role of energy density, system size, path length, and fluctuations in the parton energy loss.

We report a new measurement of $D^0$-meson production at mid-rapidity ($|y|$\,$<$\,1) in Au+Au collisions at ${\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = \rm{200\,GeV}}$ utilizing the Heavy Flavor Tracker, a high resolution silicon detector at the STAR experiment. Invariant yields of $D^0$-mesons with transverse momentum $p_{T}$ $\lesssim 9$\,GeV/$c$ are reported in various centrality bins (0--10\%, 10--20\%, 20--40\%, 40--60\% and 60--80\%). Blast-Wave thermal models are used to fit the $D^0$-meson $p_{T}$ spectra to study $D^0$ hadron kinetic freeze-out properties. The average radial flow velocity extracted from the fit is considerably smaller than that of light hadrons ($\pi,K$ and $p$), but comparable to that of hadrons containing multiple strange quarks ($\phi,\Xi^-$), indicating that $D^0$ mesons kinetically decouple from the system earlier than light hadrons. The calculated $D^0$ nuclear modification factors re-affirm that charm quarks suffer large amount of energy loss in the medium, similar to those of light quarks for $p_{T}$\,$>$\,4\,GeV/$c$ in central 0--10\% Au+Au collisions. At low $p_{T}$, the nuclear modification factors show a characteristic structure qualitatively consistent with the expectation from model predictions that charm quarks gain sizable collective motion during the medium evolution. The improved measurements are expected to offer new constraints to model calculations and help gain further insights into the hot and dense medium created in these collisions.

In this erratum we report changes on the $D^0$ $p_T$ spectra and nuclear modification factor ($R_{AA}$) in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}}$ = 200 GeV by fixing the errors in the efficiency and selection criteria that affected the Au+Au results. The p+p reference spectrum has changed as well and is updated with new fragmentation parameters.

The elliptic ($v_2$) and triangular ($v_3$) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central $^{3}$He+Au, $d$+Au, and $p$+Au collisions at $\mbox{$\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$}$ = 200 GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum ($p_{\mathrm{T}}$) at mid-rapidity ($|\eta|<$0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at $|\eta|<$0.9. While the $v_2(p_{\mathrm{T}})$ values depend on the colliding systems, the $v_3(p_{\mathrm{T}})$ values are system-independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from sub-nucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

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.

We report the triton ($t$) production in mid-rapidity ($|y| <$ 0.5) Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$= 7.7--200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The nuclear compound yield ratio ($\mathrm{N}_t \times \mathrm{N}_p/\mathrm{N}_d^2$), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity ($dN_{ch}/d\eta$) and follows a scaling behavior. The $dN_{ch}/d\eta$ dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3$\sigma$ and 3.4$\sigma$, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1$\sigma$. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller $p_{T}$ acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

The linear and mode-coupled contributions to higher-order anisotropic flow are presented for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 27, 39, 54.4, and 200 GeV and compared to similar measurements for Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The coefficients and the flow harmonics' correlations, which characterize the linear and mode-coupled response to the lower-order anisotropies, indicate a beam energy dependence consistent with an influence from the specific shear viscosity ($\eta/s$). In contrast, the dimensionless coefficients, mode-coupled response coefficients, and normalized symmetric cumulants are approximately beam-energy independent, consistent with a significant role from initial-state effects. These measurements could provide unique supplemental constraints to (i) distinguish between different initial-state models and (ii) delineate the temperature ($T$) and baryon chemical potential ($\mu_{B}$) dependence of the specific shear viscosity $\frac{\eta}{s} (T, \mu_B)$.

We present the first measurements of transverse momentum spectra of $\pi^{\pm}$, $K^{\pm}$, $p(\bar{p})$ at midrapidity ($|y| < 0.1$) in U+U collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 193 GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The centrality dependence of particle yields, average transverse momenta, particle ratios and kinetic freeze-out parameters are discussed. The results are compared with the published results from Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =$ 200 GeV in STAR. The results are also compared to those from A Multi Phase Transport (AMPT) model.

The Beam Energy Scan (BES) program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) was extended to energies below $\sqrt{\textit{s}_{NN}}$ = 7.7 GeV in 2015 by successful implementation of the fixed-target mode of operation in the STAR (Solenoidal Track At RHIC) experiment. In the fixed-target mode, ions circulate in one ring of the collider and interact with a stationary target at the entrance of the STAR Time Projection Chamber. The first results for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{\textit{s}_{NN}}$ = 4.5 GeV are presented, including directed and elliptic flow of identified hadrons, and radii from pion femtoscopy. The proton flow and pion femtoscopy results agree quantitatively with earlier measurements by Alternating Gradient Synchrotron experiments at similar energies. This validates running the STAR experiment in the fixed-target configuration. Pion directed and elliptic flow are presented for the first time at this beam energy. Pion and proton elliptic flow show behavior which hints at constituent quark scaling, but large error bars preclude reliable conclusions. The ongoing second phase of BES (BES-II) will provide fixed-target data sets with 100 times more events at each of several energies down to $\sqrt{\textit{s}_{NN}}$ = 3.0 GeV.

Notwithstanding decades of progress since Yukawa first developed a description of the force between nucleons in terms of meson exchange, a full understanding of the strong interaction remains a major challenge in modern science. One remaining difficulty arises from the non-perturbative nature of the strong force, which leads to the phenomenon of quark confinement at distances on the order of the size of the proton. Here we show that in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, where quarks and gluons are set free over an extended volume, two species of produced vector (spin-1) mesons, namely $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$, emerge with a surprising pattern of global spin alignment. In particular, the global spin alignment for $\phi$ is unexpectedly large, while that for $K^{*0}$ is consistent with zero. The observed spin-alignment pattern and magnitude for the $\phi$ cannot be explained by conventional mechanisms, while a model with a connection to strong force fields, i.e. an effective proxy description within the Standard Model and Quantum Chromodynamics, accommodates the current data. This connection, if fully established, will open a potential new avenue for studying the behaviour of strong force fields.

Proton-proton interactions resulting in final states with two photons are studied in a search for the signature of flavor-changing neutral current interactions of top quarks (t) and Higgs bosons (H). The analysis is based on data collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess above the background prediction is observed. Upper limits on the branching fractions ($\mathcal{B}$) of the top quark decaying to a Higgs boson and an up (u) or charm quark (c) are derived through a binned fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum. The observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limits are found to be 0.019 (0.031)% for $\mathcal B$(t $\to$ Hu) and 0.073 (0.051)% for $\mathcal{B}$(t $\to$ Hc). These are the strictest upper limits yet determined.

Quark interactions with topological gluon configurations can induce local chirality imbalance and parity violation in quantum chromodynamics, which can lead to the chiral magnetic effect (CME) -- an electric charge separation along the strong magnetic field in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The CME-sensitive azimuthal correlator observable ($\Delta\gamma$) is contaminated by background arising, in part, from resonance decays coupled with elliptic anisotropy ($v_{2}$). We report here differential measurements of the correlator as a function of the pair invariant mass ($m_{\rm inv}$) in 20-50% centrality Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}}$= 200 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. Strong resonance background contributions to $\Delta\gamma$ are observed. At large $m_{\rm inv}$ where this background is significantly reduced, the $\Delta\gamma$ value is found to be significantly smaller. An event-shape-engineering technique is deployed to determine the $v_{2}$ background shape as a function of $m_{\rm inv}$. We extract a $v_2$-independent and $m_{\rm inv}$-averaged signal $\Delta\gamma_{\rm sig}$ = (0.03 $\pm$ 0.06 $\pm$ 0.08) $\times10^{-4}$, or $(2\pm4\pm5)\%$ of the inclusive $\Delta\gamma(m_{\rm inv}>0.4$ GeV/$c^2$)$ =(1.58 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.02) \times10^{-4}$, within pion $p_{T}$ = 0.2 - 0.8~\gevc and averaged over pseudorapidity ranges of $-1 < \eta < -0.05$ and $0.05 < \eta < 1$. This represents an upper limit of $0.23\times10^{-4}$, or $15\%$ of the inclusive result, at $95\%$ confidence level for the $m_{\rm inv}$-integrated CME contribution.

We present the first inclusive measurements of the invariant and SoftDrop jet mass in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV at STAR. The measurements are fully corrected for detector effects, and reported differentially in both the jet transverse momentum and jet radius parameter. We compare the measurements to established leading-order Monte Carlo event generators and find that STAR-tuned PYTHIA-6 reproduces the data, while LHC tunes of PYTHIA-8 and HERWIG-7 do not agree with the data, providing further constraints on parameter tuning. Finally, we observe that SoftDrop grooming, for which the contribution of wide-angle non-perturbative radiation is suppressed, shifts the jet mass distributions into closer agreement with the partonic jet mass as determined by both PYTHIA-8 and a next-to-leading-logarithmic accuracy perturbative QCD calculation. These measurements complement recent LHC measurements in a different kinematic region, as well as establish a baseline for future jet mass measurements in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC.

Two-particle correlation measurements projected onto two-dimensional, transverse rapidity coordinates ($y_{T1},y_{T2}$), allow access to dynamical properties of the QCD medium produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions that angular correlation measurements are not sensitive to. We report non-identified charged-particle correlations for Au + Au minimum-bias collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 200 GeV taken by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). Correlations are presented as 2D functions of transverse rapidity for like-sign, unlike-sign and all charged-particle pairs, as well as for particle pairs whose relative azimuthal angles lie on the near-side, the away-side, or at all relative azimuth. The correlations are constructed using charged particles with transverse momentum $p_T \geq 0.15$ GeV/$c$, pseudorapidity from $-$1 to 1, and azimuthal angles from $-\pi$ to $\pi$. The significant correlation structures that are observed evolve smoothly with collision centrality. The major correlation features include a saddle shape plus a broad peak with maximum near $y_T \approx 3$, corresponding to $p_T \approx$ 1.5 GeV/$c$. The broad peak is observed in both like- and unlike-sign charge combinations and in near- and away-side relative azimuthal angles. The all-charge, all-azimuth correlation measurements are compared with the theoretical predictions of {\sc hijing} and {\sc epos}. The results indicate that the correlations for peripheral to mid-central collisions can be approximately described as a superposition of nucleon + nucleon collisions with minimal effects from the QCD medium. Strong medium effects are indicated in mid- to most-central collisions.

We present high-precision measurements of elliptic, triangular, and quadrangular flow $v_{2}$, $v_{3}$, and $v_{4}$, respectively, at midrapidity ($|\eta|<1.0$) for identified hadrons $\pi$, $p$, $K$, $\varphi$, $K_s$, $\Lambda$ as a function of centrality and transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at the center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=$ 200 GeV. We observe similar $v_{n}$ trends between light and strange mesons which indicates that the heavier strange quarks flow as strongly as the lighter up and down quarks. The number-of-constituent-quark scaling for $v_{2}$, $v_{3}$, and $v_{4}$ is found to hold within statistical uncertainty for 0-10$\%$, 10-40$\%$ and 40-80$\%$ collision centrality intervals. The results are compared to several viscous hydrodynamic calculations with varying initial conditions, and could serve as an additional constraint to the development of hydrodynamic models.

A linearly polarized photon can be quantized from the Lorentz-boosted electromagnetic field of a nucleus traveling at ultra-relativistic speed. When two relativistic heavy nuclei pass one another at a distance of a few nuclear radii, the photon from one nucleus may interact through a virtual quark-antiquark pair with gluons from the other nucleus forming a short-lived vector meson (e.g. ${\rho^0}$). In this experiment, the polarization was utilized in diffractive photoproduction to observe a unique spin interference pattern in the angular distribution of ${\rho^0\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-}$ decays. The observed interference is a result of an overlap of two wave functions at a distance an order of magnitude larger than the ${\rho^0}$ travel distance within its lifetime. The strong-interaction nuclear radii were extracted from these diffractive interactions, and found to be $6.53\pm 0.06$ fm ($^{197} {\rm Au }$) and $7.29\pm 0.08$ fm ($^{238} {\rm U}$), larger than the nuclear charge radii. The observable is demonstrated to be sensitive to the nuclear geometry and quantum interference of non-identical particles.

The chiral magnetic effect (CME) refers to charge separation along a strong magnetic field due to imbalanced chirality of quarks in local parity and charge-parity violating domains in quantum chromodynamics. The experimental measurement of the charge separation is made difficult by the presence of a major background from elliptic azimuthal anisotropy. This background and the CME signal have different sensitivities to the spectator and participant planes, and could thus be determined by measurements with respect to these planes. We report such measurements in Au+Au collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. It is found that the charge separation, with the flow background removed, is consistent with zero in peripheral (large impact parameter) collisions. Some indication of finite CME signals is seen in mid-central (intermediate impact parameter) collisions. Significant residual background effects may, however, still be present.