arXiv · 1105.4126
Observation of direct-photon collective flow in sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV Au+Au collisions
Abstract
The second Fourier component v_2 of the azimuthal anisotropy with respect to the reaction plane was measured for direct photons at midrapidity and transverse momentum (p_T) of 1--13 GeV/c in Au+Au collisions at sqr(s_NN)=200 GeV. Previous measurements of this quantity for hadrons with p_T < 6 GeV/c indicate that the medium behaves like a nearly perfect fluid, while for p_T > 6 GeV/c a reduced anisotropy is interpreted in terms of a path-length dependence for parton energy loss. In this measurement with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider we find that for p_T > 4 GeV/c the anisotropy for direct photons is consistent with zero, as expected if the dominant source of direct photons is initial hard scattering. However, in the p_T < 4 GeV/c region dominated by thermal photons, we find a substantial direct photon v_2 comparable to that of hadrons, whereas model calculations for thermal photons in this kinematic region significantly underpredict the observed v_2.
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A. Adare, S. Afanasiev, C. Aidala, N. N. Ajitanand, Y. Akiba, H. Al-Bataineh, J. Alexander, K. Aoki, Y. Aramaki, E. T. Atomssa, R. Averbeck, T. C. Awes, B. Azmoun, V. Babintsev, M. Bai, G. Baksay, L. Baksay, K. N. Barish, B. Bassalleck, A. T. Basye, S. Bathe, V. Baublis, C. Baumann, A. Bazilevsky, S. Belikov, R. Belmont, R. Bennett, A. Berdnikov, Y. Berdnikov, A. A. Bickley, J. S. Bok, K. Boyle, M. L. Brooks, H. Buesching, V. Bumazhnov, G. Bunce, S. Butsyk, C. M. Camacho, S. Campbell, C. -H. Chen, C. Y. Chi, M. Chiu, I. J. Choi, R. K. Choudhury, P. Christiansen, T. Chujo, P. Chung, O. Chvala, V. Cianciolo, Z. Citron, B. A. Cole, M. Connors, P. Constantin, M. Csanád, T. Csörgő, T. Dahms, S. Dairaku, I. Danchev, K. Das, A. Datta, G. David, A. Denisov, A. Deshpande, E. J. Desmond, O. Dietzsch, A. Dion, M. Donadelli, O. Drapier, A. Drees, K. A. Drees, J. M. Durham, A. Durum, D. Dutta, S. Edwards, Y. V. Efremenko, F. Ellinghaus, T. Engelmore, A. Enokizono, H. En'yo, S. Esumi, B. Fadem, D. E. Fields, M. Finger, M. Finger Jr., F. Fleuret, S. L. Fokin, Z. Fraenkel, J. E. Frantz, A. Franz, A. D. Frawley, K. Fujiwara, Y. Fukao, T. Fusayasu, I. Garishvili, A. Glenn, H. Gong, M. Gonin, Y. Goto, R. Granier de Cassagnac, N. Grau. 2011-08-22. Observation of direct-photon collective flow in sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV Au+Au collisions. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.109.122302
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