B. Chang

Scaling properties of azimuthal anisotropy in Au plus Au and Cu plus Cu collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

Differential measurements of elliptic flow (v2) for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV are used to test and validate predictions from perfect fluid hydrodynamics for scaling of v2 with eccentricity, system size, and transverse kinetic energy (KE T). For KE T identical with mT-m up to approximately 1 GeV the scaling is compatible with hydrodynamic expansion of a thermalized fluid. For large values of KE T mesons and baryons scale separately. Quark number scaling reveals a universal scaling of v2 for both mesons and baryons over the full KE T range for Au+Au. For Au+Au and Cu+Cu the scaling is more pronounced in terms of KE T, rather than transverse momentum.

Measurement of High-p(T) single electrons from heavy-flavor decays in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV

The momentum distribution of electrons from decays of heavy flavor (charm and bottom) for midrapidity absolute value of y < 0.35 in p + p collisions at square root of s = 200 GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over the transverse momentum range 0.3 < pT < 9 GeV/c. Two independent methods have been used to determine the heavy-flavor yields, and the results are in good agreement with each other. A fixed-order-plus-next-to-leading-log perturbative QCD calculation agrees with the data within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties, with the data/theory ratio of 1.71+/-0.02stat+/-0.18sys for 0.3 < pT < 9 GeV/c. The total charm production cross section at this energy has also been deduced to be sigma cc = 567+/-57stat+/-193sys microb.

Transverse momentum dependence of J/psi polarization at midrapidity in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

We report the measurement of the transverse momentum dependence of inclusive J/{psi} polarization in p+p collisions at {radical}(s)=200 GeV performed by the PHENIX Experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The J/{psi} polarization is studied in the helicity, Gottfried-Jackson, and Collins-Soper frames for p{sub T}<5 GeV/c and |y|<0.35. The polarization in the helicity and Gottfried-Jackson frames is consistent with zero for all transverse momenta, with a slight (1.8 sigma) trend towards longitudinal polarization for transverse momenta above 2 GeV/c. No conclusion is allowed due to the limited acceptance in the Collins-Soper frame and the uncertainties of the current data. The results are compared to observations for other collision systems and center of mass energies and to different quarkonia production models.

Transition in yield and azimuthal shape modification in dihadron correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions.

Hard-scattered parton probes produced in collisions of large nuclei indicate large partonic energy loss, possibly with collective produced-medium response to the lost energy. We present measurements of π^{0} trigger particles at transverse momenta p{T}{t}=4-12  GeV/c and associated charged hadrons (p{T}{a}=0.5-7  GeV/c) vs relative azimuthal angle Δϕ in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt[s{NN}]=200  GeV. The Au+Au distribution at low p{T}{a}, whose shape has been interpreted as a medium effect, is modified for p{T}{t}<7  GeV/c. At higher p{T}{t}, the data are consistent with unmodified or very weakly modified shapes, even for the lowest measured p{T}{a}, which quantitatively challenges some medium response models. The associated yield of hadrons opposing the trigger particle in Au+Au relative to p+p (I{AA}) is suppressed at high p{T} (I{AA}≈0.35-0.5), but less than for inclusive suppression (R{AA}≈0.2).

System-size dependence of open-heavy-flavor production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at sNN =200 GeV

The PHENIX Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has measured open-heavy-flavor production in Cu + Cu collisions at v root s(NN) = 200 GeV through the measurement of electrons at midrapidity that originate from semileptonic decays of charm and bottom hadrons. In peripheral Cu + Cu collisions an enhanced production of electrons is observed relative to p + p collisions scaled by the number of binary collisions. In the transverse momentum range from 1 to 5 GeV/c the nuclear modification factor is R-AA similar to 1.4. As the system size increases to more central Cu + Cu collisions, the enhancement gradually disappears and turns into a suppression. For p(T) > 3 GeV/c, the suppression reaches R-AA similar to 0.8 in the most central collisions. The p(T) and centrality dependence of R-AA in Cu + Cu collisions agree quantitatively with R-AA in d + Au and Au + Au collisions, if compared at a similar number of participating nucleons .

Transverse momentum dependence of η meson suppression in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV

New measurements by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider for eta production at midrapidity as a function of transverse momentum (p{sub T}) and collision centrality in sq root(s{sub NN})=200 GeV Au+Au and p+p collisions are presented. They indicate nuclear modification factors (R{sub AA}) which are similar in both magnitude and trend to those found in earlier pi{sup 0} measurements. Linear fits to R{sub AA} as a function of p{sub T} in 5-20 GeV/c show that the slope is consistent with zero within two standard deviations at all centralities, although a slow rise cannot be excluded. Having different statistical and systematic uncertainties, the pi{sup 0} and eta measurements are complementary at high p{sub T}; thus, along with the extended p{sub T} range of these data they can provide additional constraints for theoretical modeling and the extraction of transport properties.

Double-helicity dependence of jet properties from dihadrons in longitudinally polarized p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

It has been postulated that partonic orbital angular momentum can lead to a significant double-helicity dependence in the net transverse momentum of Drell-Yan dileptons produced in longitudinally polarized p+p collisions. Analogous effects are also expected for dijet production. If confirmed by experiment, this hypothesis, which is based on semi-classical arguments, could lead to a new approach for studying the contributions of orbital angular momentum to the proton spin. We report the first measurement of the double-helicity dependence of the dijet transverse momentum in longitudinally polarized p+p collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV from data taken by the PHENIX experiment in 2005 and 2006. The analysis deduces the transverse momentum of the dijet from the widths of the near- and far-side peaks in the azimuthal correlation of the dihadrons. When averaged over the transverse momentum of the triggered particle, the difference of the root-mean-square of the dijet transverse momentum between like- and unlike-helicity collisions is found to be -37 +/- 88(stat) +/- 14(syst) MeV/c.

Cross section and double helicity asymmetry for eta mesons and their comparison to pi(0) production in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

Measurements of double-helicity asymmetries in inclusive hadron production in polarized p+p collisions are sensitive to helicity-dependent parton distribution functions, in particular to the gluon helicity distribution, {Delta}g. This study focuses on the extraction of hte double-helicity asymmetry in {eta} production (p+p{yields}{eta}+X), the {eta} cross section, and the {eta}/{pi}{sup 0} cross section ratio. The cross section and ratio measurements provide essential input for the extraction of fragmentation functions that are needed to acess the helicity-dependent parton distribution functions.

High p(T) direct photon and pi(0) triggered azimuthal jet correlations and measurement of k(T) for isolated direct photons in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

Correlations of charged hadrons of 1< p(T) < 10 Gev/c with high pT direct photons and pi(0) mesons in the range 5< p(T) < 15 Gev/c are used to study jet fragmentation in the gamma + jet and dijet channels, respectively. The magnitude of the partonic transverse momentum, k(T), is obtained by comparing to a model incorporating a Gaussian kT smearing. The sensitivity of the associated charged hadron spectra to the underlying fragmentation function is tested and the data are compared to calculations using recent global fit results. The shape of the direct photon-associated hadron spectrum as well as its charge asymmetry are found to be consistent with a sample dominated by quark-gluon Compton scattering. No significant evidence of fragmentation photon correlated production is observed within experimental uncertainties.Correlations of charged hadrons of 1 < pT < 10 GeV/c with high pT direct photons and pi^ 0 mesons in the range 5

Dilepton mass spectra in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

PHENIX has measured the electron-positron pair mass spectrum from 0 to 8 GeV/c(2) in p + p collisions at root s = 200 GeV. The contributions from light meson decays to e(+)e(-) pairs have been determined based on measurements of hadron production cross sections by PHENIX. Within the systematic uncertainty of similar to 20% they account for all e(+)e(-) pairs in the mass region below similar to 1 GeV/c(2). The e(+)e(-) pair yield remaining after subtracting these contributions is dominated by semileptonic decays of charmed hadrons correlated through flavor conservation. Using the spectral shape predicted by PYTHIA, we estimate the charm production cross section to be 544 +/- 39(stat) +/- 142(syst) +/- 200(model) pb. which is consistent with QCD calculations and measurements of single leptons by PHENIX