The measurement of direct photons from Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=39$ and 62.4 GeV in the transverse-momentum range $0.4<p_T<3$ Gev/$c$ is presented by the PHENIX collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A significant direct-photon yield is observed in both collision systems. A universal scaling is observed when the direct-photon $p_T$ spectra for different center-of-mass energies and for different centrality selections at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=62.4$ GeV is scaled with $(dN_{\rm ch}/d\eta)^{\alpha}$ for $\alpha=1.21{\pm}0.04$. This scaling also holds true for direct-photon spectra from Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV measured earlier by PHENIX, as well as the spectra from Pb$+$Pb at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=2760$ GeV published by ALICE. The scaling power $\alpha$ seems to be independent of $p_T$, center of mass energy, and collision centrality. The spectra from different collision energies have a similar shape up to $p_T$ of 2 GeV/$c$. The spectra have a local inverse slope $T_{\rm eff}$ increasing with $p_T$ of $0.174\pm0.018$ GeV/$c$ in the range $0.4<p_T<1.3$ GeV/$c$ and increasing to $0.289\pm0.024$ GeV/$c$ for $0.9<p_T<2.1$ GeV/$c$. The observed similarity of low-$p_T$ direct-photon production from $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}= 39$ to 2760 GeV suggests a common source of direct photons for the different collision energies and event centrality selections, and suggests a comparable space-time evolution of direct-photon emission.
The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has measured low mass vector meson, $\omega$, $\rho$, and $\phi$, production through the dimuon decay channel at forward rapidity ($1.2<|y|<2.2$) in $p$$+$$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV. The differential cross sections for these mesons are measured as a function of both $p_T$ and rapidity. We also report the integrated differential cross sections over $1<p_T<7$ GeV/$c$ and $1.2<|y|<2.2$: $d\sigma/dy(\omega+\rho\rightarrow\mu\mu) = 80 \pm 6 \mbox{(stat)} \pm 12 \mbox{(syst)}$ nb and $d\sigma/dy(\phi\rightarrow\mu\mu) = 27 \pm 3 \mbox{(stat)} \pm 4 \mbox{(syst)}$ nb. These results are compared with midrapidity measurements and calculations.
We have measured direct photons for $p_T<5~$GeV/$c$ in minimum bias and 0\%--40\% most central events at midrapidity for Cu$+$Cu collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV. The $e^{+}e^{-}$ contribution from quasi-real direct virtual photons has been determined as an excess over the known hadronic contributions in the $e^{+}e^{-}$ mass distribution. A clear enhancement of photons over the binary scaled $p$$+$$p$ fit is observed for $p_T<4$ GeV/$c$ in Cu$+$Cu data. The $p_T$ spectra are consistent with the Au$+$Au data covering a similar number of participants. The inverse slopes of the exponential fits to the excess after subtraction of the $p$$+$$p$ baseline are 285$\pm$53(stat)$\pm$57(syst)~MeV/$c$ and 333$\pm$72(stat)$\pm$45(syst)~MeV/$c$ for minimum bias and 0\%--40\% most central events, respectively. The rapidity density, $dN/dy$, of photons demonstrates the same power law as a function of $dN_{\rm ch}/d\eta$ observed in Au$+$Au at the same collision energy.
We present a detailed measurement of charged two-pion correlation functions in 0%-30% centrality $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV Au$+$Au collisions by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The data are well described by Bose-Einstein correlation functions stemming from L\'evy-stable source distributions. Using a fine transverse momentum binning, we extract the correlation strength parameter $\lambda$, the L\'evy index of stability $\alpha$ and the L\'evy length scale parameter $R$ as a function of average transverse mass of the pair $m_T$. We find that the positively and the negatively charged pion pairs yield consistent results, and their correlation functions are represented, within uncertainties, by the same L\'evy-stable source functions. The $\lambda(m_T)$ measurements indicate a decrease of the strength of the correlations at low $m_T$. The L\'evy length scale parameter $R(m_T)$ decreases with increasing $m_T$, following a hydrodynamically predicted type of scaling behavior. The values of the L\'evy index of stability $\alpha$ are found to be significantly lower than the Gaussian case of $\alpha=2$, but also significantly larger than the conjectured value that may characterize the critical point of a second-order quark-hadron phase transition.
We present preliminary results from a sample of ∼ 1200 events obtained from an exposure of the 30-in. Argonne National Laboratory—National Accelerator Laboratory liquid-hydrogen bubble chamber to 102-GeVc protons. The elastic and total inelastic cross sections are respectively 6.9 ± 1.0 and 32.8 ± 1.1 mb. The parameters of the multiplicity distribution for negative tracks are 〈n−〉=2.17±0.07, D−2=〈n−2〉−〈n−〉2=2.56±0.12, and f2−=D−2−〈n−〉=0.39±0.10.
An analysis of W- and Z-boson production using data from the Collider Detector at Fermilab at √s =1.8 TeV yields σ(W→ev)/σ(Z→ee)=10.2±0.8(stat)±0.4(syst). The width of the W boson, Γ(W), and a limit on the top-quark mass independent of decay mode are extracted from this measurement.
Dielectron production in p+d and p+p collisions at the beam kinetic energy of 4.9 GeV has been measured with the Dilepton Spectrometer. Features of the dielectron cross section have been studied with cuts on the mass and transverse momentum of the pairs. The spectra for several regions of phase space are presented as a function of the pair mass and transverse momentum.
The production of neutral pions has been studied in the reactions 40 Ar + nat Ca , 86 Kr + nat Zr and 197 Au + 197 Au at 1 A GeV. For high energy pions emitted from the heavier systems a steeper than linear rise of the pion multiplicity with the centrality of the reaction is observed, indicating a pion production process other than binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. At low transverse momenta an enhancement of the π 0 -multiplicity increasing with the mass of the collision system is found. Systematic discrepancies between the experimental results and recent BUU, QMD and Cascade calculations are discussed.
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 present STAR measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy parameter $v_2$ for pions, kaons, protons, $\Lambda$, $\bar{\Lambda}$, $\Xi+\bar{\Xi}$, and $\Omega + \bar{\Omega}$, along with $v_4$ for pions, kaons, protons, and $\Lambda + \bar{\Lambda}$ at mid-rapidity for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=62.4$ and 200 GeV. The $v_2(p_T)$ values for all hadron species at 62.4 GeV are similar to those observed in 130 and 200 GeV collisions. For observed kinematic ranges, $v_2$ values at 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV are as little as 10%--15% larger than those in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=17.3$ GeV. At intermediate transverse momentum ($p_T$ from 1.5--5 GeV/c), the 62.4 GeV $v_2(p_T)$ and $v_4(p_T)$ values are consistent with the quark-number scaling first observed at 200 GeV. A four-particle cumulant analysis is used to assess the non-flow contributions to pions and protons and some indications are found for a smaller non-flow contribution to protons than pions. Baryon $v_2$ is larger than anti-baryon $v_2$ at 62.4 and 200 GeV perhaps indicating either that the initial spatial net-baryon distribution is anisotropic, that the mechanism leading to transport of baryon number from beam- to mid-rapidity enhances $v_2$, or that anti-baryon and baryon annihilation is larger in the in-plane direction.
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