Evidence for a flavor asymmetry between the $\bar{u}$ and $\bar{d}$ quark distributions in the proton has been found in deep-inelastic scattering and DrellYan experiments. The pronounced dependence ...of this flavor asymmetry on x (fraction of nucleon momentum carried by partons) observed in the Fermilab E866 Drell-Yan experiment suggested a drop of the $\bar{d}$(x)/$\bar{u}$(x) ratio in the x > 0.15 region. We report results from the SeaQuest Fermilab E906 experiment with improved statistical precision for $\bar{d}$(x)/$\bar{u}$(x) in the large x region up to x = 0.45 using the 120 GeV proton beam. Two different methods for extracting the Drell-Yan cross section ratios, σpd/2σpp, from the SeaQuest data give consistent results. The $\bar{d}$(x)/$\bar{u}$(x) ratios and the $\bar{d}$(x)- $\bar{u}$(x) differences are deduced from these cross section ratios for 0.13 < x < 0.45. The SeaQuest and E866/NuSea $\bar{d}$(x)/$\bar{u}$(x) ratios are in good agreement for the x≲0.25 region. The new SeaQuest data, however, show that $\bar{d}$(x) continues to be greater than $\bar{u}$(x) up to the highest x value (x = 0.45). The new results on $\bar{d}$(x)/$\bar{u}$(x) and $\bar{d}$(x)-$\bar{u}$(x) are compared with various parton distribution functions and theoretical calculations.
We report the transverse single-spin asymmetries of J/ψ production at forward and backward rapidity, 1.2<|y|<2.2, as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum (pT) and Feynman-x (xF). The data analyzed ...were recorded by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in 2015 from p+p, p+Al, and p+Au collisions with transversely polarized proton beams at sNN=200 GeV. At this collision energy, single-spin asymmetries for heavy-flavor particle production of p+p collisions provide access to the spin-dependent gluon distribution and higher-twist correlation functions inside the nucleon, such as the gluon Qiu-Sterman and trigluon correlation functions. Proton+nucleus collisions offer an excellent opportunity to study nuclear effects on the correlation functions. The data indicate a positive asymmetry at the two-standard-deviation level in the p+p data for 2 GeV/c<pT<10 GeV/c at backward rapidity and negative asymmetries at the two-standard-deviation level in the p+Au data for pT<2 GeV/c at both forward and backward rapidity, while in p+Al collisions the asymmetries are consistent with zero within the range of experimental uncertainties.
We report on the nuclear dependence of transverse single-spin asymmetries (TSSAs) in the production of positively charged hadrons in polarized p↑+p, p↑+Al, and p↑+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV. The ...measurements have been performed at forward rapidity (1.4<η<2.4) over the range of transverse momentum (1.8<pT<7.0 GeV/c) and Feynman x (0.1<xF<0.2). We observed positive asymmetries for positively charged hadrons in p↑+p collisions, and significantly reduced asymmetries in p↑+A collisions. These results reveal a nuclear dependence of TSSAs for charged-hadron production in a regime where perturbative techniques are applicable. These results provide new opportunities to use p↑+A collisions as a tool to investigate the rich phenomena behind TSSAs in hadronic collisions and to use TSSAs as a new handle in studying small-system collisions.
Jet production rates are measured in p+p and d+Au collisions at ...GeV recorded in 2008 with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Jets are reconstructed using the R=0.3 anti-k ...sub(t) algorithm from energy deposits in the electromagnetic calorimeter and charged tracks in multiwire proportional chambers, and the jet transverse momentum (pT) spectra are corrected for the detector response. Spectra are reported for jets with 12<pT<50GeV/c, within a pseudorapidity acceptance of eta<0.3 . The nuclear-modification factor (R sub(dAu)) values for 0%-100% d+Au events are found to be consistent with unity, constraining the role of initial state effects on jet production. However, the centrality-selected R sub(dAu) values and central-to-peripheral ratios (R sub(CP)) show large, pT-dependent deviations from unity, challenging the conventional models that relate hard-process rates and soft-particle production in collisions involving nuclei.
PHENIX measurements are presented for the cross section and double-helicity asymmetry (A sub(L)L in inclusive pi super(0) production at midrapidity from p+p collisions at sradical=510GeV from data ...taken in 2012 and 2013 at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The next-to-leading-order perturbative-quantum-chromodynamics theory calculation is in excellent agreement with the presented cross section results. The calculation utilized parton-to-pion fragmentation functions from the recent DSS14 global analysis, which prefer a smaller gluon-to-pion fragmentation function. The pi super(0)A sub(L)Lresults follow an increasingly positive asymmetry trend with p sub(T)and sradical with respect to the predictions and are in excellent agreement with the latest global analysis results. This analysis incorporated earlier results on pi0 and jet A sub(L)Land suggested a positive contribution of gluon polarization to the spin of the proton Delta G for the gluon momentum fraction range x>0.05. The data presented here extend to a currently unexplored region, down to x~0.01, and thus provide additional constraints on the value of Delta G.
We present midrapidity measurements from the PHENIX experiment of large parity-violating single-spin asymmetries of high transverse momentum electrons and positrons from W super(+ or -)/Z decays, ...produced in longitudinally polarized p+p collisions at center of mass energies of radicals=500 and 510 GeV. These asymmetries allow direct access to the antiquark polarized parton distribution functions due to the parity-violating nature of the W-boson coupling to quarks and antiquarks. The results presented are based on data collected in 2011, 2012, and 2013 with an integrated luminosity of 240pb super(-1), which exceeds previous PHENIX published results by a factor of more than 27. These high Q super(2) data probe the parton structure of the proton at W mass scale and provide an important addition to our understanding of the antiquark parton helicity distribution functions at an intermediate Bjorken x value of roughlyM sub(W)/radical s=0.16.
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.
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