P. D. Barnes

Elliptic flow of identified hadrons in Au+Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

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 sqrt[s(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.

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.

The 206Pb(t, p)208Pb and 210Pb(p, t)208Pb reactions at 20 MeV

Abstract The 206Pb(t, p)208Pb and 210Pb(p, t)208Pb reactions have been studied at 20 MeV up to an excitation of 6.75 MeV in the (p, t) reaction and up to 8.5 MeV in the (t, p) reaction. Angular distributions of 10°-80° are observed in both reactions. The spin and parity of about thirty states have been tentatively identified from their angular distribution patterns and by comparison of the cross sections measured in the (p, t), (t, p), (p, p′), and (d, p) reactions. Pairing-vibrational states (0+) and 2+) are identified and the presence of a proton pairing vibrational state (0+) at 5.24 MeV is suggested by the data. Two-neutron transfer DWBA cross sections were calculated for about 50 states using one-particle, one-hole wavefunctions calculated by Kuo. These wavefunctions were characterized by having appreciable parentage in the valence neutron particle (hole) configurations of 210Pb(206Pb). Tentative identification with observed states allows a quantitative comparison. The strongly populated pairing-vibrational states are compared with DWBA calculations using the valence neutron wavefunctions of True and Ford, and Redlich for 206 Pb and 210Pb. Discrepancies are discussed in terms of mixing with the analogs of higher lying 2+ states in 210Pb and in terms of the two-particle, two-hole wavefunctions.

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.

Photon-hadron jet correlations in p+p and Au+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV

We report the observation at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider of suppression of back-to-back correlations in the direct photon+jet channel in Au+Au relative to p+p collisions. Two-particle correlations of direct photon triggers with associated hadrons are obtained by statistical subtraction of the decay photon-hadron (gamma-h) background. The initial momentum of the away-side parton is tightly constrained, because the parton-photon pair exactly balance in momentum at leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics, making such correlations a powerful probe of the in-medium parton energy loss. The away-side nuclear suppression factor, I-AA, in central Au+Au collisions, is 0.32 +/- 0.12(stat)+/- 0.09(syst) for hadrons of 3 < p(T)(h)< 5 in coincidence with photons of 5 < p(T)(gamma)< 15 GeV/c. The suppression is comparable to that observed for high-p(T) single hadrons and dihadrons. The direct photon associated yields in p+p collisions scale approximately with the momentum balance, z(T)equivalent to p(T)(h)/p(T)(gamma), as expected for a measurement of the away-side parton fragmentation function. We compare to Au+Au collisions for which the momentum balance dependence of the nuclear modification should be sensitive to the path-length dependence of parton energy loss.

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).

J/psi production from proton-proton collisions at root s=200 GeV

J/ψ production has been measured in proton-proton collisions at s = 200 GeV over a wide rapidity and transverse momentum range by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Distributions of the rapidityand transverse momentum, along with measurements of the mean transverse momentum and total production cross section are presented and compared to available theoretical calculations. The total J/ψ cross section is 4.0 ′ 0.6(stat) ′ 0.6(syst) ′ 0.4(abs) μb. The mean transverse momentum is 1.80 ′ 0.23(stat) ′ 0.16(syst) GeV/c.

Azimuthal angle correlations for rapidity separated hadron pairs in d+Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

Deuteron-gold (d+Au) collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider provide ideal platforms for testing QCD theories in dense nuclear matter at high energy. In particular, models suggesting strong saturation effects for partons carrying small nucleon momentum fraction (x) predict modifications to jet production at forward rapidity (deuteron-going direction) in d+Au collisions. We report on two-particle azimuthal angle correlations between charged hadrons at forward/backward (deuteron/gold going direction) rapidity and charged hadrons at midrapidity in d+Au and p+p collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV. Jet structures observed in the correlations are quantified in terms of the conditional yield and angular width of away-side partners. The kinematic region studied here samples partons in the gold nucleus with x similar to 0.1 to similar to 0.01. Within this range, we find no x dependence of the jet structure in d+Au collisions.

Production of omega mesons in p plus p, d plus Au, Cu plus Cu, and Au plus Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has measured omega meson production via leptonic and hadronic decay channels in p + p, d + Au, Cu+ Cu, and Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. The invariant transverse momentum spectra measured in different decay modes give consistent results. Measurements in the hadronic decay channel in Cu Cu and Au + Au collisions show that. production has a suppression pattern at high transverse momentum, similar to that of pi(0) and eta in central collisions, but no suppression is observed in peripheral collisions. The nuclear modification factors, R-AA, are consistent in Cu + Cu and Au + Au collisions at similar numbers of participant nucleons.