SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

S. Gadrat

Publications and source records attributed to S. Gadrat.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Transverse-energy distributions at midrapidity in $p$$+$$p$, $d$$+$Au, and Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=62.4$--200~GeV and implications for particle-production models

Measurements of the midrapidity transverse energy distribution, $d\Et/dη$, are presented for $p$$+$$p$, $d$$+$Au, and Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV and additionally for Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=62.4$ and 130 GeV. The $d\Et/dη$ distributions are first compared with the number of nucleon participants $N_{\rm part}$, number of binary collisions $N_{\rm coll}$, and number of constituent-quark participants $N_{qp}$ calculated from a Glauber model based on the nuclear geometry. For Au$+$Au, $\mean{d\Et/dη}/N_{\rm part}$ increases with $N_{\rm part}$, while $\mean{d\Et/dη}/N_{qp}$ is approximately constant for all three energies. This indicates that the two component ansatz, $dE_{T}/dη\propto (1-x) N_{\rm part}/2 + x N_{\rm coll}$, which has been used to represent $E_T$ distributions, is simply a proxy for $N_{qp}$, and that the $N_{\rm coll}$ term does not represent a hard-scattering component in $E_T$ distributions. The $dE_{T}/dη$ distributions of Au$+$Au and $d$$+$Au are then calculated from the measured $p$$+$$p$ $E_T$ distribution using two models that both reproduce the Au$+$Au data. However, while the number-of-constituent-quark-participant model agrees well with the $d$$+$Au data, the additive-quark model does not.

nucl-ex

System-size dependence of open-heavy-flavor production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$=200 GeV

The PHENIX Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has measured open heavy flavor production in Cu$+$Cu collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$=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}$$\sim$1.4. As the system size increases to more central Cu$+$Cu collisions, the enhancement gradually disappears and turns into a suppression. For $p_T>3$ GeV/$c$, the suppression reaches $R_{AA}$$\sim$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 similar number of participating nucleons $\langle N_{\rm part} \rangle$.

nucl-ex

Measurement of Direct Photons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV

We report the measurement of direct photons at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV. The direct photon signal was extracted for the transverse-momentum range of 4 GeV/c < p_T < 22 GeV/c, using a statistical method to subtract decay photons from the inclusive-photon sample. The direct-photon nuclear-modification factor R_AA was calculated as a function of p_T for different Au+Au collision centralities using the measured p+p direct-photon spectrum and compared to theoretical predictions. R_AA was found to be consistent with unity for all centralities over the entire measured p_T range. Theoretical models that account for modifications of initial-direct-photon production due to modified-parton-distribution functions in Au and the different isospin composition of the nuclei, predict a modest change of R_AA from unity and are consistent with the data. Models with compensating effects of the quark-gluon plasma on high-energy photons, such as suppression of jet-fragmentation photons and induced-photon bremsstrahlung from partons traversing the medium, are also consistent with this measurement.

nucl-ex

Nuclear-Modification Factor for Open-Heavy-Flavor Production at Forward Rapidity in Cu+Cu Collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV

Background: Heavy-flavor production in p+p collisions tests perturbative-quantum-chromodynamics (pQCD) calculations. Modification of heavy-flavor production in heavy-ion collisions relative to binary-collision scaling from p+p results, quantified with the nuclear-modification factor (R_AA), provides information on both cold- and hot-nuclear-matter effects. Purpose: Determine transverse-momentum, pt, spectra and the corresponding R_AA for muons from heavy-flavor mesons decay in p+p and Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV and y=1.65. Method: Results are obtained using the semi-leptonic decay of heavy-flavor mesons into negative muons. The PHENIX muon-arm spectrometers measure the p_T spectra of inclusive muon candidates. Backgrounds, primarily due to light hadrons, are determined with a Monte-Carlo calculation using a set of input hadron distributions tuned to match measured-hadron distributions in the same detector and statistically subtracted. Results: The charm-production cross section in p+p collisions at sqrt{s}=200 GeV, integrated over pt and in the rapidity range 1.4<y<1.9 is found to be dsigma_ccbar/dy = 0.139 +/- 0.029 (stat) ^{+0.051}_{-0.058} (syst) mb. This result is consistent with calculations and with expectations based on the corresponding midrapidity charm-production cross section measured earlier by PHENIX. The R_AA for heavy-flavor muons in Cu+Cu collisions is measured in three centrality intervals for 1<pt<4 GeV/c. Suppression relative to binary-collision scaling (R_AA<1) increases with centrality. Conclusions: Within experimental and theoretical uncertainties, the measured heavy-flavor yield in p+p collisions is consistent with state-of-the-art pQCD calculations. Suppression in central Cu+Cu collisions suggests the presence of significant cold-nuclear-matter effects and final-state energy loss.

nucl-ex

Event Structure and Double Helicity Asymmetry in Jet Production from Polarized p+p Collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV

We report on event structure and double helicity asymmetry ($A_LL$) of jet production in longitudinally polarized p+p collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=200 GeV. Photons and charged particles were measured at midrapidity $|η| < 0.35$ with the requirement of a high-momentum ($>2$ GeV/$c$) photon in each event. Measured event structure is compared with {\sc pythia} and {\sc geant} simulations. The shape of jets and the underlying event were well reproduced at this collision energy. For the measurement of jet $A_{LL}$, photons and charged particles were clustered with a seed-cone algorithm to obtain the cluster $p_T$ sum ($p_T^{\rm reco}$). The effect of detector response and the underlying events on $p_T^{\rm reco}$ was evaluated with the simulation. The production rate of reconstructed jets is satisfactorily reproduced with the NLO pQCD jet production cross section. For $4 < p_T^{\rm reco} < 12$ GeV/$c$ with an average beam polarization of $< P > = 49%$ we measured $A_{LL} = -0.0014 \pm 0.0037^{\rm stat}$ at the lowest $p_T^{\rm reco}$ bin (4-5 GeV/$c$) and $-0.0181 \pm 0.0282^{\rm stat}$ at the highest $p_T^{\rm reco}$ bin (10-12 GeV/$c$) with a beam polarization scale error of 9.4% and a $\pT$ scale error of 10%. Jets in the measured $p_T^{\rm reco}$ range arise primarily from hard-scattered gluons with momentum fraction $0.02 < x < 0.3$ according to {\sc pythia}. The measured $A_{LL}$ is compared with predictions that assume various $ΔG(x)$ distributions based on the GRSV parameterization. The present result imposes the limit $-1.1 < \int_{0.02}^{0.3}dx ΔG(x, μ^2 = 1 {\rm GeV}^2) < 0.4$ at 95% confidence level or $\int_{0.02}^{0.3}dx ΔG(x, μ^2 = 1 {\rm GeV}^2) < 0.5$ at 99% confidence level.

hep-ex

Consequences of a Lambda_c/D enhancement effect on the non-photonic electron nuclear modification factor in central heavy ion collisions at RHIC energy

The RHIC experiments have measured the nuclear modification factor R_AA of non-photonic electrons in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV. This R_AA exhibits a large suppression for pt > 2 GeV/c which is commonly attributed to heavy-quark energy loss. It is expected that the heavy-quark radiative energy loss is smaller than the light quark one because of the so-called dead-cone effect. An enhancement of the charm baryon yield with respect to the charm meson yield, as it is observed for light and strange hadrons, can explain part of the suppression. This phenomenon has been put forward in a previous work. We present in this paper a more complete study based on a detailed simulation which includes electrons from charm and bottom decay, charm and bottom quark realistic energy loss as well as a more realistic modeling of the Lambda_c/D enhancement. We show that a Lambda_c/D ratio close to unity, as observed for light and strange quarks, could explain 20-25% of the suppression of non-photonic electrons in central Au+Au collisions. This effect remains significant at relatively high non-photonic electron transverse momenta of 8-9 GeV/c.

hep-ph

A new contribution to the nuclear modification factor of non-photonic electrons in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV

We investigate the effect of the so-called anomalous baryon/meson enhancement to the nuclear modification factor of non-photonic electrons in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV. It is demonstrated that an enhancement of the charm baryon/meson ratio, as it is observed for non-strange and strange hadrons, can be responsible for part of the amplitude of the nuclear modification factor of non-photonic electrons. About half of the measured suppression of non-photonic electrons in the 2-4 pt range can be explained by a charm baryon/meson enhancement of 5. This contribution to the non-photonic electron nuclear modification factor has nothing to do with heavy quark energy loss.

hep-ph