1.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Centrality dependence of low-momentum direct-photon production in Au plus Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV
2015
In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 91:6
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has measured the centrality dependence of the direct photon yield from Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV down to pT = 0.4 GeV/c. Photons are detected via photon conversions to e(+)e(-) pairs and an improved technique is applied that minimizes the systematic uncertainties that usually limit direct photon measurements, in particular at low pT. We find an excess of direct photons above the N-coll-scaled yield measured in p + p collisions. This excess yield is well described by an exponential distribution with an inverse slope of about 240 MeV/c in the pT range 0.6-2.0 GeV/c. While the shape of the pT distribution is independent of centrality within the experimental uncertainties, the yield increases rapidly with increasing centrality, scaling approximately with N-part(alpha), where alpha = 1.38 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.07(syst).
2.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Cold-Nuclear-Matter Effects on Heavy-Quark Production at Forward and Backward Rapidity in d + Au Collisions at root s(NN) = GeV
2014
In: Physical Review Letters. - 1079-7114. ; 112:25
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
The PHENIX experiment has measured open heavy-flavor production via semileptonic decay over the transverse momentum range 1 < p(T) < 6 GeV/c at forward and backward rapidity (1.4 < vertical bar y vertical bar < 2.0) in d + Au and p + p collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. In central d + Au collisions, relative to the yield in p + p collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, a suppression is observed at forward rapidity (in the d-going direction) and an enhancement at backward rapidity (in the Au-going direction). Predictions using nuclear-modified-parton-distribution functions, even with additional nuclear-p(T) broadening, cannot simultaneously reproduce the data at both rapidity ranges, which implies that these models are incomplete and suggests the possible importance of final-state interactions in the asymmetric d + Au collision system. These results can be used to probe cold-nuclear-matter effects, which may significantly affect heavy-quark production, in addition to helping constrain the magnitude of charmonia-breakup effects in nuclear matter.
3.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Cold nuclear matter effects on J/psi production as constrained by deuteron-gold measurements at root S-NN=200 GeV
2008
In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 77:2, s. 15-024912
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
We present a new analysis of J/psi production yields in deuteron-gold collisions at root s(NN) =200 GeV using data taken from the PHENIX experiment in 2003 and previously published in S. S. Adler [Phys. Rev. Lett 96, 012304 (2006)]. The high statistics proton-proton J/psi data taken in 2005 are used to improve the baseline measurement and thus construct updated cold nuclear matter modification factors (R-dAu). A suppression of J/psi in cold nuclear matter is observed as one goes forward in rapidity (in the deuteron-going direction), corresponding to a region more sensitive to initial-state low-x gluons in the gold nucleus. The measured nuclear modification factors are compared to theoretical calculations of nuclear shadowing to which a J/psi (or precursor) breakup cross section is added. Breakup cross sections of sigma(breakup)=2.8(-1.4)(+1.7) (2.2(-1.5)(+1.6)) mb are obtained by fitting these calculations to the data using two different models of nuclear shadowing. These breakup cross-section values are consistent within large uncertainties with the 4.2 +/- 0.5 mb determined at lower collision energies. Projecting this range of cold nuclear matter effects to copper-copper and gold-gold collisions reveals that the current constraints are not sufficient to firmly quantify the additional hot nuclear matter effect.
4.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Deviation from quark number scaling of the anisotropy parameter v(2) of pions, kaons, and protons in Au+Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV
2012
In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 85:6
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Measurements of the anisotropy parameter v(2) of identified hadrons (pions, kaons, and protons) as a function of centrality, transverse momentum p(T), and transverse kinetic energy KET at midrapidity (vertical bar eta vertical bar < 0.35) in Au + Au collisions at root s(N N) = 200 GeV are presented. Pions and protons are identified up to p(T) = 6 GeV/c, and kaons up to p(T) = 4 GeV/c, by combining information from time-of-flight and aerogel Cerenkov detectors in the PHENIX Experiment. The scaling of v(2) with the number of valence quarks (n(q)) has been studied in different centrality bins as a function of transverse momentum and transverse kinetic energy. A deviation from previously observed quark-number scaling is observed at large values of KET/n(q) in noncentral Au + Au collisions (20-60%), but this scaling remains valid in central collisions (0-10%).
5.
Adare, A, et al.
(author)
Dielectron production in Au plus Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV
2016
In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 93:1
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
We present measurements of e+e- production at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV. The invariant yield is studied within the PHENIX detector acceptance over a wide range of mass (mee<5 GeV/c2) and pair transverse momentum (pT<5 GeV/c) for minimum bias and for five centrality classes. The e+e- yield is compared to the expectations from known sources. In the low-mass region (mee=0.30-0.76 GeV/c2) there is an enhancement that increases with centrality and is distributed over the entire pair pT range measured. It is significantly smaller than previously reported by the PHENIX experiment and amounts to 2.3±0.4(stat)±0.4(syst)±0.2(model) or to 1.7±0.3(stat)±0.3(syst)±0.2(model) for minimum bias collisions when the open heavy-flavor contribution is calculated with pythia or mc@nlo, respectively. The inclusive mass and pT distributions, as well as the centrality dependence, are well reproduced by model calculations where the enhancement mainly originates from the melting of the ρ meson resonance as the system approaches chiral symmetry restoration. In the intermediate-mass region (mee=1.2-2.8 GeV/c2), the data hint at a significant contribution in addition to the yield from the semileptonic decays of heavy-flavor mesons.
6.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Double-spin asymmetry of electrons from heavy-flavor decays in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV
2013
In: Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology). - 1550-2368. ; 87:1
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
We report on the first measurement of the double-spin asymmetry, A(LL), of electrons from the decays of hadrons containing heavy flavor in longitudinally polarized p + p collisions at root s = 200 GeV for p(T) = 0.5 to 3.0 GeV/c. The asymmetry was measured at midrapidity (vertical bar eta vertical bar < 0.35) with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The measured asymmetries are consistent with zero within the statistical errors. We obtained a constraint for the polarized gluon distribution in the proton of vertical bar Delta g/g(log(10)(x) = -1.6(-0.4)(+0.5), mu = m(T)(c)vertical bar(2) < 0.030 (1 sigma) based on a leading-order perturbative quantum chromodynamics model, using the measured asymmetry. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.012011
7.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Forward J/ψ production in U + U collisions at sNN =193 GeV
2016
In: Physical Review C. - 2469-9985. ; 93:3
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
The invariant yields, dN/dy, for J/ψ production at forward rapidity (1.2<|y|<2.2) in U+U collisions at sNN=193GeV have been measured as a function of collision centrality. The invariant yields and nuclear-modification factor RAA are presented and compared with those from Au+Au collisions in the same rapidity range. Additionally, the direct ratio of the invariant yields from U+U and Au+Au collisions within the same centrality class is presented, and used to investigate the role of cc coalescence. Two different parametrizations of the deformed Woods-Saxon distribution were used in Glauber calculations to determine the values of the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions in each centrality class, Ncoll, and these were found to give significantly different Ncoll values. Results using Ncoll values from both deformed Woods-Saxon distributions are presented. The measured ratios show that the J/ψ suppression, relative to binary collision scaling, is similar in U+U and Au+Au for peripheral and midcentral collisions, but that J/ψ show less suppression for the most central U+U collisions. The results are consistent with a picture in which, for central collisions, increase in the J/ψ yield due to cc coalescence becomes more important than the decrease in yield due to increased energy density. For midcentral collisions, the conclusions about the balance between cc coalescence and suppression depend on which deformed Woods-Saxon distribution is used to determine Ncoll.
8.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Identified charged hadron production in p plus p collisions at root s=200 and 62.4 GeV
2011
In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 83:6
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Transverse momentum distributions and yields for pi(+/-), K-+/-, p, and (p) over bar in p + p collisions at root s = 200 and 62.4 GeV at midrapidity are measured by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). These data provide important baseline spectra for comparisons with identified particle spectra in heavy ion collisions at RHIC. We present the inverse slope parameter T-inv, mean transverse momentum < p(T)>, and yield per unit rapidity dN/dy at each energy, and compare them to other measurements at different root s in p + p and p + (p) over bar collisions. We also present the scaling properties such as m(T) scaling and x(T) scaling on the p(T) spectra between different energies. To discuss the mechanism of the particle production in p + p collisions, the measured spectra are compared to next-to-leading-order or next-to-leading-logarithmic perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations.
9.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Inclusive cross section and single transverse spin asymmetry for very forward neutron production in polarized p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV
2013
In: Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology). - 1550-2368. ; 88:3
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
The energy dependence of the single-transverse-spin asymmetry, A(N), and the cross section for neutron production at very forward angles were measured in the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider for polarized p + p collisions at root s = 200 GeV. The neutrons were observed in forward detectors covering an angular range of up to 2.2 mrad. We report results for neutrons with a momentum fraction of x(F) = 0.45 to 1.0. The energy dependence of the measured cross sections were consistent with x(F) scaling, compared to measurements by an experiment at the Intersecting Storage Ring, which measured neutron production in unpolarized p + p collisions at root s = 30.6-62.7 GeV. The cross sections for large x(F) neutron production for p + p collisions, as well as those in e + p collisions measured at the Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator, are described by a pion exchange mechanism. The observed forward neutron asymmetries were large, reaching A(N) = -0.08 +/- 0.02 for x(F) = 0.8; the measured backward asymmetries, for negative x(F), were consistent with zero. The observed asymmetry for forward neutron production is discussed within the pion exchange framework, with interference between the spin-flip amplitude due to the pion exchange and nonflip amplitudes from all Reggeon exchanges. Within the pion exchange description, the measured neutron asymmetry is sensitive to the contribution of other Reggeon exchanges even for small amplitudes.
10.
Adare, A., et al.
(author)
Inclusive double-helicity asymmetries in neutral-pion and eta-meson production in + collisions at root s=200 GeV
2014
In: Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology). - 1550-2368. ; 90:1
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Results are presented from data recorded in 2009 by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider for the double-longitudinal spin asymmetry, A(LL), for pi(0) and eta production in root s = 200 GeV polarized p + p collisions. Comparison of the pi(0) results with different theory expectations based on fits of other published data showed a preference for small positive values of gluon polarization, Delta G, in the proton in the probed Bjorken x range. The effect of adding the new 2009 pi(0) data to a recent global analysis of polarized scattering data is also shown, resulting in a best fit Delta G(DSSV)([0.05,0.2]) = 0.06(-0.15)(+0.11) in the range 0.05 < x < 0.2, with the uncertainty at Delta chi(2) = 9 when considering only statistical experimental uncertainties. Shifting the PHENIX data points by their systematic uncertainty leads to a variation of the best-fit value of Delta G(DSSV)([0.05,0.2]) between 0.02 and 0.12, demonstrating the need for full treatment of the experimental systematic uncertainties in future global analyses.
