We present the first measurement of photoproduction of J/psi and of two-photon production of high-mass e+e- pairs in electromagnetic (or ultra-peripheral) nucleus-nucleus interactions, using Au+Au ...data at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. The events are tagged with forward neutrons emitted following Coulomb excitation of one or both Au^{star} nuclei. The event sample consists of 28 events with m_{e+e-} > 2 GeV/c^2 with zero like-sign background. The measured cross sections at midrapidity of d\sigma / dy (J/psi + Xn, y=0) = 76 +/- 33 (stat) +/- 11 (syst) micro b and d^2\sigma/dm dy (e^+e^- + Xn, y=0) = 86 +/- 23 (stat) +/- 16 (syst) micro b/(GeV/c^2) for m_{e+e-} \in 2.0,2.8 GeV/c^2 are consistent with various theoretical predictions.
The anisotropy parameter (v(2)), the second harmonic of the azimuthal particle distribution, has been measured with the PHENIX detector in Au+Au collisions at roots(NN)=200 GeV for identified and ...inclusive charged particle production at central rapidities (eta<0.35) with respect to the reaction plane defined at high rapidities (eta=3-4 ). We observe that the v(2) of mesons falls below that of (anti)baryons for p(T)>2 GeV/c, in marked contrast to the predictions of a hydrodynamical model. A quark-coalescence model is also investigated.
The PHENIX experiment has measured midrapidity transverse momentum spectra (0.4<p(T)<4.0 GeV/c) of single electrons as a function of centrality in Au+Au collisions at roots(NN) = 200 GeV. ...Contributions from photon conversions and Dalitz decays of light neutral mesons are measured by introducing a thin (1.7% X-0) converter into the PHENIX acceptance and are statistically removed. The subtracted nonphotonic electron spectra are primarily due to the semileptonic decays of hadrons containing heavy quarks, mainly charm at lower p(T). For all centralities, the charm production cross section is found to scale with the nuclear overlap function, T-AA. For minimum-bias collisions the charm cross section per binary collision is N-c (c) over bar/T-AA=622+/-57(stat)+/-160(syst) mub.
The invariant differential cross section for inclusive neutral-pion production in p+p collisions at roots=200 GeV has been measured at midrapidity (eta<0.35) over the range 1<p(T)less than or similar ...to14 GeV/c by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Predictions of next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations are consistent with these measurements. The precision of our result is sufficient to differentiate between prevailing gluon-to-pion fragmentation functions.
Transverse single-spin asymmetries to probe the transverse-spin structure of the proton have been measured for neutral pions and nonidentified charged hadrons from polarized proton-proton collisions ...at midrapidity and root s = 200 GeV. The data cover a transverse momentum (pT) range 1.0-5.0 GeV/c for neutral pions and 0.5-5.0 GeV/c for charged hadrons, at a Feynman-x value of approximately zero. The asymmetries seen in this previously unexplored kinematic region are consistent with zero within errors of a few percent. In addition, the inclusive charged hadron cross section at midrapidity from 0.5 < P-T < 7.0 GeV/c is presented and compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD ( pQCD) calculations. Successful description of the unpolarized cross section above similar to 2 GeV/c suggests that pQCD is applicable in the interpretation of the asymmetry results in the relevant kinematic range.
Bose-Einstein correlations of identically charged pion pairs were measured by the PHENIX experiment at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at roots(NN)=200 GeV. The Bertsch-Pratt radius parameters were ...determined as a function of the transverse momentum of the pair and as a function of the centrality of the collision. Using the standard core-halo partial Coulomb fits, and a new parametrization which constrains the Coulomb fraction as determined from the unlike-sign pion correlation, the ratio R-out/R-side is within 0.8-1.1 for 0.25<<k(T)><1.2 GeV/c. The centrality dependence of all radii is well described by a linear scaling in N-part(1/3), and R-out/R-side for <k(T)>similar to0.45 GeV/c is approximately constant at unity as a function of centrality.
In this report, we want to demonstrate that besides the conventional use for elemental analysis and depth profiling by ion beam analysis (IBA), particles generated through ion–solid interactions in ...IBA may find other novel and important applications. Specifically, we use Rutherford backscattered and nuclear reaction produced high energy proton particles to calibrate an energetic particle subsystem (called ZEP) of the Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System (SABRS) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). To simulate low radiation flux in the space, we have devised an experiment that uses an ultrathin (∼51.8nm) self-support gold foil to scatter a proton beam from a 3MV Tandem accelerator into the ZEP subsystem. Direct backscattering from the thin gold foil produces proton particles with tunable energies of 0.2–6.0MeV and desired counting rates of <10kHz. To extend the proton particle energy beyond the Tandem’s limit of 6MeV, a high Q-value nuclear reaction, 2D+3He→p+4He+18.352MeV, was used. This reaction allows us to obtain as high as 25.6MeV proton particles on our 3MV tandem accelerator, more than 4 times as high as the accelerator’s maximum proton beam energy, and has greatly extended our proton energy range for this calibration activity. Preliminary ZEP subsystem calibration results are presented.
We report on the yield of protons and antiprotons, as a function of centrality and transverse momentum, in Au+Au collisions at rootS(NN)=200 GeV measured at midrapidity by the PHENIX experiment at ...the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In central collisions at intermediate transverse momenta (1.5<p(T)<4.5 GeV/c) a significant fraction of all produced particles are protons and antiprotons. They show a centrality-scaling behavior different from that of pions. The (p) over bar/pi and p/pi ratios are enhanced compared to peripheral Au+Au, p+p, and e(+)e(-) collisions. This enhancement is limited to p(T)<5 GeV/c as deduced from the ratio of charged hadrons to pi(0) measured in the range 1.5<p(T)<9 GeV/c.
Azimuthal correlations of jet-induced high-p(T) charged hadron pairs are studied at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV. The distribution of jet-associated partner hadrons (1.0 < ...p(T)< 2.5 GeV/c) per trigger hadron (2.5 < p(T)< 4.0 GeV/c) is found to vary with collision centrality, in both shape and yield, indicating a significant effect of the nuclear collision medium on the jet fragmentation process.
PDF
