Here, we present a detailed measurement of charged two-pion correlation functions in 0–30% centrality √sNN = 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 Lévy-stable source distributions. Using a fine transverse momentum binning, we extract the correlation strength parameter λ, the Lévy index of stability α, and the Lévy length scale parameter R as a function of average transverse mass of the pair mT. 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 Lévy-stable source functions. The λ(mT) measurements indicate a decrease of the strength of the correlations at low mT. The Lévy length scale parameter R(mT) decreases with increasing mT, following a hydrodynamically predicted type of scaling behavior. The values of the Lévy index of stability α are found to be significantly lower than the Gaussian case of α = 2, but also significantly larger than the conjectured value that may characterize the critical point of a second-order quark-hadron phase transition.
The PHENIX collaboration presents first measurements of low-momentum (0.4<p_{T}<3 GeV/c) direct-photon yields from Au+Au collisions at sqrts_{NN}=39 and 62.4 GeV. For both beam energies the ...direct-photon yields are substantially enhanced with respect to expectations from prompt processes, similar to the yields observed in Au+Au collisions at sqrts_{NN}=200. Analyzing the photon yield as a function of the experimental observable dN_{ch}/dη reveals that the low-momentum (>1 GeV/c) direct-photon yield dN_{γ}^{dir}/dη is a smooth function of dN_{ch}/dη and can be well described as proportional to (dN_{ch}/dη)^{α} with α≈1.25. This scaling behavior holds for a wide range of beam energies at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider, for centrality selected samples, as well as for different A+A collision systems. At a given beam energy, the scaling also holds for high p_{T} (>5 GeV/c), but when results from different collision energies are compared, an additional sqrts_{NN}-dependent multiplicative factor is needed to describe the integrated-direct-photon yield.
The PHENIX experiment reports systematic measurements at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider of φ-meson production in asymmetric Cu+Au collisions at sNN=200GeV and in U+U collisions at sNN=193GeV. ...Measurements were performed via the φ→K+K- decay channel at midrapidity |η|
The PHENIX Collaboration has measured the ratio of the yields of ψ(2S) to ψ(1S) mesons produced in p+p, p+Al, p+Au, and He3+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV over the forward and backward rapidity ...intervals 1.2<|y|<2.2. We find that the ratio in p+p collisions is consistent with measurements at other collision energies. In collisions with nuclei, we find that in the forward (p-going or He3-going) direction, the relative yield of ψ(2S) mesons to ψ(1S) mesons is consistent with the value measured in p+p collisions. However, in the backward (nucleus-going) direction, the ψ(2S) meson is preferentially suppressed by a factor of ∼2. This suppression is attributed in some models to the breakup of the weakly bound ψ(2S) meson through final-state interactions with comoving particles, which have a higher density in the nucleus-going direction. These breakup effects may compete with color screening in a deconfined quark-gluon plasma to produce sequential suppression of excited quarkonia states.
The PHENIX experiment has performed a systematic study of identified charged-hadron ($π^±$, $K^±$, $p$, $\overline{p}$) production at midrapidity in $p$ + Al, 3He +Au, and Cu + Au collisions at ...$\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV and U + U collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 193 GeV. Identified charged-hadron invariant transverse-momentum ($p_T$) and transverse-mass ($m_T$) spectra are presented and interpreted in terms of radially expanding thermalized systems. The particle ratios of $K/π$ and $p/π$ have been measured in different centrality ranges of large (Cu + Au and U + U) and small ($p$ + Al and 3He +Au) collision systems. The values of $K/π$ ratios measured in all considered collision systems were found to be consistent with those measured in $p + p$ collisions. However, the values of $p/π$ ratios measured in large collision systems reach the values of ≈0.6, which is a factor of ≈2 larger than in $p + p$ collisions. These results can be qualitatively understood in terms of the baryon enhancement expected from hadronization by recombination. Identified charged-hadron nuclear-modification factors ($R_{AB}$) are also presented. Enhancement of proton $R_{AB}$ values over meson $R_{AB}$ values was observed in central 3He +Au, Cu + Au, and U + U collisions. Here, the proton $R_{AB}$ values measured in the $p$ + Al collision system were found to be consistent with $R_{AB}$ values of $Φ$, $π^±$, $K^±$, and $π^0$ mesons, which may indicate that the size of the system produced in $p$ + Al collisions is too small for recombination to cause a noticeable increase in proton production.
We have measured the cross section and single-spin asymmetries from forward W±→μ±ν production in longitudinally polarized p+p collisions at s=510 GeV using the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic ...Heavy Ion Collider. The cross sections are consistent with previous measurements at this collision energy, while the most forward and backward longitudinal single spin asymmetries provide new insights into the sea quark helicities in the proton. The charge of the W bosons provides a natural flavor separation of the participating partons.
Reported here are transverse single-spin asymmetries (AN) in the production of charged hadrons as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and Feynman-x (xF) in polarized p↑ + p, p↑ + Al, and p↑ + Au ...collisions at $\sqrt{^SNN}$ = 200 GeV. The measurements have been performed at forward and backward rapidity (1.4 < |η| < 2.4) over the range of 1.5 GeV /c < pT < 7.0 GeV /c and 0.04 < |xF| < 0.2. A nonzero asymmetry is observed for positively charged hadrons at forward rapidity (xF > 0) in p↑ + p collisions, whereas the p↑ + Al and p↑ + Au results show smaller asymmetries. This finding provides new opportunities to investigate the origin of transverse single-spin asymmetries and a tool to study nuclear effects in p + A collisions.
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