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.
Extensive experimental data from high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions were recorded using the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The comprehensive set of measurements ...from the first three years of RHIC operation includes charged particle multiplicities, transverse energy, yield ratios and spectra of identified hadrons in a wide range of transverse momenta (
p
T
), elliptic flow, two-particle correlations, nonstatistical fluctuations, and suppression of particle production at high
p
T
. The results are examined with an emphasis on implications for the formation of a new state of dense matter. We find that the state of matter created at RHIC cannot be described in terms of ordinary color neutral hadrons.
We present azimuthal angular correlations between charged hadrons and energy deposited in calorimeter towers in central d+Au and minimum bias p+p collisions at sqrts_{NN}=200 GeV. The charged hadron ...is measured at midrapidity |η|<0.35, and the energy is measured at large rapidity (-3.7<η<-3.1, Au-going direction). An enhanced near-side angular correlation across |Δη|>2.75 is observed in d+Au collisions. Using the event plane method applied to the Au-going energy distribution, we extract the anisotropy strength v_{2} for inclusive charged hadrons at midrapidity up to p_{T}=4.5 GeV/c. We also present the measurement of v_{2} for identified π^{±} and (anti)protons in central d+Au collisions, and observe a mass-ordering pattern similar to that seen in heavy-ion collisions. These results are compared with viscous hydrodynamic calculations and measurements from p+Pb at sqrts_{NN}=5.02 TeV. The magnitude of the mass ordering in d+Au is found to be smaller than that in p+Pb collisions, which may indicate smaller radial flow in lower energy d+Au collisions.
Charged-pion-interferometry measurements were made with respect to the second- and third-order event plane for Au+Au collisions at sqrts_{NN}=200 GeV. A strong azimuthal-angle dependence of the ...extracted Gaussian-source radii was observed with respect to both the second- and third-order event planes. The results for the second-order dependence indicate that the initial eccentricity is reduced during the medium evolution, which is consistent with previous results. In contrast, the results for the third-order dependence indicate that the initial triangular shape is significantly reduced and potentially reversed by the end of the medium evolution, and that the third-order oscillations are largely dominated by the dynamical effects from triangular flow.
We present a measurement of the double longitudinal spin asymmetry in inclusive pi(0) production in polarized proton-proton collisions at roots=200 GeV. The data were taken at the Relativistic Heavy ...Ion Collider with average beam polarizations of 0.27. The measurements are the first in a program to study the longitudinal spin structure of the proton, using strongly interacting probes, at collider energies. The asymmetry is presented for transverse momenta 1-5 GeV/c at midrapidity, where next-to-leading-order perturbative quantum chromodynamic (NLO pQCD) calculations well describe the unpolarized cross section. The observed asymmetry is small and is compared to a NLO pQCD calculation with a range of polarized gluon distributions.
We report on charged hadron production in deuteron-gold reactions at roots(NN) = 200 GeV. Our measurements in the deuteron direction cover 1.4<eta<2.2, referred to as forward rapidity, and in the ...gold direction -2.0<eta<-1.4, referred to as backward rapidity, and a transverse momentum range p(T)=0.5-4.0 GeV/c. We compare the relative yields for different deuteron-gold collision centrality classes. We observe a suppression relative to binary collision scaling at forward rapidity, sensitive to low momentum fraction (x) partons in the gold nucleus, and an enhancement at backward rapidity, sensitive to high momentum fraction partons in the gold nucleus.
We present measurements of J/ψ yields in d+Au collisions at sqrts(NN)=200 GeV recorded by the PHENIX experiment and compare them with yields in p+p collisions at the same energy per nucleon-nucleon ...collision. The measurements cover a large kinematic range in J/ψ rapidity (-2.2<y<2.4) with high statistical precision and are compared with two theoretical models: one with nuclear shadowing combined with final state breakup and one with coherent gluon saturation effects. In order to remove model dependent systematic uncertainties we also compare the data to a simple geometric model. The forward rapidity data are inconsistent with nuclear modifications that are linear or exponential in the density weighted longitudinal thickness, such as those from the final state breakup of the bound state.
PDF
