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In high-energy heavy-ion collisions, partonic collectivity is evidenced by the constituent quark number scaling of elliptic flow anisotropy for identified hadrons. A breaking of this scaling and dominance of baryonic interactions is found for identified hadron collective flow measurements in √sNN = 3 GeV Au+Au collisions. In this paper, we report measurements of the first- and second-order azimuthal anisotropic parameters, v1 and v2, of light nuclei (d, t, 3He, 4He) produced in √sNN = 3 GeV Au+Au collisions at the STAR experiment. An atomic mass number scaling is found in the measured v1 slopes of light nuclei at mid-rapidity. For the measured v2 magnitude, a strong rapidity dependence is observed. Unlike v2 at higher collision energies, the v2 values at mid-rapidity for all light nuclei are negative and no scaling is observed with the atomic mass number. Calculations by the Jet AA Microscopic Transport Model (JAM), with baryonic mean-field plus nucleon coalescence, are in good agreement with our observations, implying baryonic interactions dominate the collective dynamics in 3 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC.
Measurement of cold nuclear matter effects for inclusive J/ψ in p+Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV
(2022)
Measurement by the STAR experiment at RHIC of the cold nuclear matter (CNM) effects experienced by inclusive J/ψ at mid-rapidity in 0-100% p+Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV is presented. Such effects are quantified utilizing the nuclear modification factor, RpAu, obtained by taking a ratio of J/ψ yield in p+Au collisions to that in p+p collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The differential J/ψ yield in both p+p and p+Au collisions is measured through the dimuon decay channel, taking advantage of the trigger capability provided by the Muon Telescope Detector in the RHIC 2015 run. Consequently, the J/ψ RpAu is derived within the transverse momentum (pT) range of 0 to 10 GeV/c. A suppression of approximately 30% is observed for pT < 2 GeV/c, while J/ψ RpAu becomes compatible with unity for pT greater than 3 GeV/c, indicating the J/ψ yield is minimally affected by the CNM effects at high pT. Comparison to a similar measurement from 0-20% central Au+Au collisions reveals that the observed strong J/ψ suppression above 3 GeV/c is mostly due to the hot medium effects, providing strong evidence for the formation of the quark-gluon plasma in these collisions. Several model calculations show qualitative agreement with the measured J/ψ RpAu, while their agreement with the J/ψ yields in p+p and p+Au collisions is worse.
We report the first multi-differential measurements of strange hadrons of K −, φ and − yields as well as the ratios of φ/K − and φ/− in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 3 GeV with the STAR experiment fixed target configuration at RHIC. The φ mesons and − hyperons are measured through hadronic decay channels, φ → K + K − and Ξ− → Λπ−. Collision centrality and rapidity dependence of the transverse momentum spectra for these strange hadrons are presented. The 4π yields and ratios are compared to thermal model and hadronic transport model predictions. At this collision energy, thermal model with grand canonical ensemble (GCE) under-predicts the φ/K − and φ/− ratios while the result of canonical ensemble (CE) calculations reproduce φ/K −, with the correlation length rc ∼ 2.7 fm, and φ/−, rc ∼ 4.2 fm, for the 0-10% central collisions. Hadronic transport models including high mass resonance decays could also describe the ratios. While thermal calculations with GCE work well for strangeness production in high energy collisions, the change to CE at 3 GeV implies a rather different medium property at high baryon density.
We report on the measurements of directed flow v1 and elliptic flow v2 for hadrons (π±, K ±, K0 S , p, φ, Λ and ) from Au+Au collisions at √sN N = 3 GeV and v2 for (π±, K ±, p and p) at 27 and 54.4 GeV with the STAR experiment. While at the two higher energy midcentral collisions the numberof-constituent-quark (NCQ) scaling holds, at 3 GeV the v2 at midrapidity is negative for all hadrons and the NCQ scaling is absent. In addition, the v1 slopes at midrapidity for almost all observed hadrons are found to be positive, implying dominant repulsive baryonic interactions. The features of negative v2 and positive v1 slope at 3 GeV can be reproduced with a baryonic mean-field in transport model calculations. These results imply that the medium in such collisions is likely characterized by baryonic interactions.
Fluctuations of conserved quantities such as baryon number, charge, and strangeness are sensitive to the correlation length of the hot and dense matter created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions and can be used to search for the QCD critical point. We report the first measurements of the moments of net-kaon multiplicity distributions in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV. The collision centrality and energy dependence of the mean (M), variance (σ 2), skewness (S), and kurtosis (κ) for net-kaon multiplicity distributions as well as the ratio σ 2/M and the products Sσ and κσ 2 are presented. Comparisons are made with Poisson and negative binomial baseline calculations as well as with UrQMD, a transport model (UrQMD) that does not include effects from the QCD critical point. Within current uncertainties, the net-kaon cumulant ratios appear to be monotonic as a function of collision energy.
Measurement of groomed jet substructure observables in p+p collisions at √s = 200 GeV with STAR
(2020)
In this letter, measurements of the shared momentum fraction (zg) and the groomed jet radius (Rg), as defined in the SoftDrop algorithm, are reported in p+p collisions at √s = 200 GeV collected by the STAR experiment. These substructure observables are differentially measured for jets of varying resolution parameters from R = 0.2 − 0.6 in the transverse momentum range 15 < pT,jet < 60 GeV/c. These studies show that, in the pT,jet range accessible at √s = 200 GeV and with increasing jet resolution parameter and jet transverse momentum, the zg distribution asymptotically converges to the DGLAP splitting kernel for a quark radiating a gluon. The groomed jet radius measurements reflect a momentum-dependent narrowing of the jet structure for jets of a given resolution parameter, i.e., the larger the pT,jet, the narrower the first splitting. For the first time, these fully corrected measurements are compared to Monte Carlo generators with leading order QCD matrix elements and leading log in the parton shower, and to state-of-the-art theoretical calculations at next-to-leading-log accuracy. We observe that PYTHIA 6 with parameters tuned to reproduce RHIC measurements is able to quantitatively describe data, whereas PYTHIA 8 and HERWIG 7, tuned to reproduce LHC data, are unable to provide a simultaneous description of both zg and Rg, resulting in opportunities for fine parameter tuning of these models for p+p collisions at RHIC energies. We also find that the theoretical calculations without non-perturbative corrections are able to qualitatively describe the trend in data for jets of large resolution parameters at high pT,jet, but fail at small jet resolution parameters and low jet transverse momenta.
Investigation of the linear and mode-coupled flow harmonics in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV
(2020)
Flow harmonics (vn) of the Fourier expansion for the azimuthal distributions of hadrons are commonly employed to quantify the azimuthal anisotropy of particle production relative to the collision symmetry planes. While lower order Fourier coefficients (v2 and v3) are more directly related to the corresponding eccentricities of the initial state, the higher-order flow harmonics (vn>3) can be induced by a modecoupled response to the lower-order anisotropies, in addition to a linear response to the same-order anisotropies. These higher-order flow harmonics and their linear and mode-coupled contributions can be used to more precisely constrain the initial conditions and the transport properties of the medium in theoretical models. The multiparticle azimuthal cumulant method is used to measure the linear and mode-coupled contributions in the higher-order anisotropic flow, the mode-coupled response coefficients, and the correlations of the event plane angles for charged particles as functions of centrality and transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy √sN N= 200 GeV. The results are compared to similar LHC measurements as well as to several viscous hydrodynamic calculations with varying initial conditions.
We report results on the total and elastic cross sections in proton-proton collisions at √s = 200 GeV obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section was measured in the squared four-momentum transfer range 0.045 ≤ −t ≤ 0.135 GeV2. The value of the exponential slope parameter B of the elastic differential cross section dσ/dt ∼ e−Bt in the measured −t range was found to be B = 14.32 ± 0.09(stat.)+0.13 −0.28(syst.) GeV−2. The total cross section σtot, obtained from extrapolation of the dσ/dt to the optical point at −t = 0, is σtot = 54.67 ± 0.21(stat.)+1.28 −1.38(syst.) mb. We also present the values of the elastic cross section σel = 10.85 ± 0.03(stat.)+0..49 −0.41(syst.) mb, the elastic cross section integrated within the STAR t-range σ det el = 4.05 ± 0.01(stat.)+0.18−0.17(syst.) mb, and the inelastic cross section σinel = 43.82 ± 0.21(stat.)+1.37−1.44(syst.) mb. The results are compared with the world data
Quark interactions with topological gluon configurations can induce chirality imbalance and local parity violation in quantum chromodynamics. This can lead to electric charge separation along the strong magnetic field in relativistic heavy-ion collisions – the chiral magnetic effect (CME). We report measurements by the STAR collaboration of a CME-sensitive observable in p + Au and d + Au collisions at 200 GeV, where the CME is not expected, using charge-dependent pair correlations relative to a third particle. We observe strong charge-dependent correlations similar to those measured in heavy-ion collisions. This bears important implications for the interpretation of the heavy-ion data.
The transversity distribution, which describes transversely polarized quarks in transversely polarized nucleons, is a fundamental component of the spin structure of the nucleon, and is only loosely constrained by global fits to existing semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) data. In transversely polarized p↑+p collisions it can be accessed using transverse polarization dependent fragmentation functions which give rise to azimuthal correlations between the polarization of the struck parton and the final state scalar mesons.This letter reports on spin dependent di-hadron correlations measured by the STAR experiment. The new dataset corresponds to 25 pb−1 integrated luminosity of p↑+p collisions at s=500 GeV, an increase of more than a factor of ten compared to our previous measurement at s=200 GeV. Non-zero asymmetries sensitive to transversity are observed at a Q2 of several hundred GeV and are found to be consistent with the former measurement and a model calculation. We expect that these data will enable an extraction of transversity with comparable precision to current SIDIS datasets but at much higher momentum transfers where subleading effects are suppressed.
The longitudinal and transverse spin transfers to Λ (Λ¯¯¯¯) hyperons in polarized proton-proton collisions are expected to be sensitive to the helicity and transversity distributions, respectively, of (anti-)strange quarks in the proton, and to the corresponding polarized fragmentation functions. We report improved measurements of the longitudinal spin transfer coefficient, DLL, and the transverse spin transfer coefficient, DTT, to Λ and Λ¯¯¯¯ in polarized proton-proton collisions at s√ = 200 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The data set includes longitudinally polarized proton-proton collisions with an integrated luminosity of 52 pb−1, and transversely polarized proton-proton collisions with a similar integrated luminosity. Both data sets have about twice the statistics of previous results and cover a kinematic range of |ηΛ(Λ¯¯¯¯)| < 1.2 and transverse momentum pT,Λ(Λ¯¯¯¯) up to 8 GeV/c. We also report the first measurements of the hyperon spin transfer coefficients DLL and DTT as a function of the fractional jet momentum z carried by the hyperon, which can provide more direct constraints on the
The longitudinal and transverse spin transfers to Λ (Λ¯¯¯¯) hyperons in polarized proton-proton collisions are expected to be sensitive to the helicity and transversity distributions, respectively, of (anti-)strange quarks in the proton, and to the corresponding polarized fragmentation functions. We report improved measurements of the longitudinal spin transfer coefficient, DLL, and the transverse spin transfer coefficient, DTT, to Λ and Λ¯¯¯¯ in polarized proton-proton collisions at s√ = 200 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The data set includes longitudinally polarized proton-proton collisions with an integrated luminosity of 52 pb−1, and transversely polarized proton-proton collisions with a similar integrated luminosity. Both data sets have about twice the statistics of previous results and cover a kinematic range of |ηΛ(Λ¯¯¯¯)| < 1.2 and transverse momentum pT,Λ(Λ¯¯¯¯) up to 8 GeV/c. We also report the first measurements of the hyperon spin transfer coefficients DLL and DTT as a function of the fractional jet momentum z carried by the hyperon, which can provide more direct constraints on the polarized fragmentation functions.
Elliptic flow from nuclear collisions is a hadronic observable sensitive to the early stages of system evolution. We report first results on elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV using the STAR TPC at RHIC. The elliptic flow signal, v_2, averaged over transverse momentum, reaches values of about 6% for relatively peripheral collisions and decreases for the more central collisions. This can be interpreted as the observation of a higher degree of thermalization than at lower collision energies. Pseudorapidity and transverse momentum dependence of elliptic flow are also presented.
Elliptic flow from nuclear collisions is a hadronic observable sensitive to the early stages of system evolution. We report first results on elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN] = 130 GeV using the STAR Time Projection Chamber at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The elliptic flow signal, v2, averaged over transverse momentum, reaches values of about 6% for relatively peripheral collisions and decreases for the more central collisions. This can be interpreted as the observation of a higher degree of thermalization than at lower collision energies. Pseudorapidity and transverse momentum dependence of elliptic flow are also presented.
We present the first measurement of the proton–Ω correlation function in heavy-ion collisions for the central (0–40%) and peripheral (40–80%) Au + Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). Predictions for the ratio of peripheral collisions to central collisions for the proton–Ω correlation function are sensitive to the presence of a nucleon– bound state. These predictions are based on the proton– interaction extracted from (2 + 1)-flavor lattice QCD calculations at the physical point. The measured ratio of the proton–Ω correlation function between the peripheral (small system) and central (large system) collisions is less than unity for relative momentum smaller than 40 MeV/c. Comparison of our measured correlation ratio with theoretical calculation slightly favors a proton– bound system with a binding energy of ∼ 27 MeV.
We present a measurement of inclusive J /ψ production at mid-rapidity (|y| < 1) in p+p collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s = 200 GeV with the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The differential production cross section for J /ψ as a function of transverse momentum (p T ) for 0 < p T < 14 GeV/c and the total cross section are reported and compared to calculations from the color evaporation model and the non-relativistic Quantum Chromodynamics model. The dependence of J /ψ relative yields in three p T intervals on charged-particle multiplicity at mid-rapidity is measured for the first time in p+p collisions at √s = 200 GeV and compared with that measured at √s = 7 TeV, PYTHIA8 and EPOS3 Monte Carlo generators, and the Percolation model prediction.
New measurements of directed flow for charged hadrons, characterized by the Fourier coefficient v1, are presented for transverse momenta pT, and centrality intervals in Au+Au collisions recorded by the STAR experiment for the center-of-mass energy range √sN N = 7.7–200 GeV. The measurements underscore the importance of momentum conservation, and the characteristic dependencies on √sN N , centrality and pT are consistent with the expectations of geometric fluctuations generated in the initial stages of the collision, acting in concert with a hydrodynamic-like expansion. The centrality and pT dependencies of veven 1 , as well as an observed similarity between its excitation function and that for v3, could serve as constraints for initial-state models. The veven 1 excitation function could also provide an important supplement to the flow measurements employed for precision extraction of the temperature dependence of the specific shear viscosity.
We report results on an elastic cross section measurement in proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy √𝑠 = 510 GeV, obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section is measured in the four-momentum transfer squared range 0.23 ≤ −𝑡 ≤ 0.67 GeV2. This is the only measurement of the proton-proton elastic cross section in this 𝑡 range for collision energies above the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR) and below the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) colliders. We find that a constant slope 𝐵 does not fit the data in the aforementioned 𝑡 range, and we obtain a much better fit using a second-order polynomial for 𝐵(𝑡). This is the first measurement below the LHC energies for which the non-constant behavior 𝐵(𝑡) is observed. The 𝑡 dependence of 𝐵 is also determined using six subintervals of 𝑡 in the STAR measured 𝑡 range, and is in good agreement with the phenomenological models. The measured elastic differential cross section d𝜎∕dt agrees well with the results obtained at √𝑠 = 540 GeV for proton–antiproton collisions by the UA4 experiment. We also determine that the integrated elastic cross section within the STAR 𝑡-range is 𝜎f id el = 462.1 ± 0.9(stat.) ± 1.1(syst.) ± 11.6(scale) 𝜇b.
Density fluctuations near the QCD critical point can be probed via an intermittency analysis in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We report the first measurement of intermittency in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√ = 7.7-200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The scaled factorial moments of identified charged hadrons are analyzed at mid-rapidity and within the transverse momentum phase space. We observe a power-law behavior of scaled factorial moments in Au+Au collisions and a decrease in the extracted scaling exponent (ν) from peripheral to central collisions. The ν is consistent with a constant for different collisions energies in the mid-central (10-40\%) collisions. Moreover, the ν in the 0-5\% most central Au+Au collisions exhibits a non-monotonic energy dependence that reaches a possible minimum around sNN−−−√ = 27 GeV. The physics implications on the QCD phase structure are discussed.
Density fluctuations near the QCD critical point can be probed via an intermittency analysis in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We report the first measurement of intermittency in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 7.7-200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The scaled factorial moments of identified charged hadrons are analyzed at mid-rapidity and within the transverse momentum phase space. We observe a power-law behavior of scaled factorial moments in Au+Au collisions and a decrease in the extracted scaling exponent (ν) from peripheral to central collisions. The ν is consistent with a constant for different collisions energies in the mid-central (10-40%) collisions. Moreover, the ν in the 0-5% most central Au+Au collisions exhibits a non-monotonic energy dependence that reaches a minimum around √sNN = 27 GeV. The physics implications on the QCD phase structure are discussed.
Elliptic flow of heavy-flavor decay electrons in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 27 and 54.4 GeV at RHIC
(2023)
We report on new measurements of elliptic flow (v2) of electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays at mid-rapidity (|y|<0.8) in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√ = 27 and 54.4 GeV from the STAR experiment. Heavy-flavor decay electrons (eHF) in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√ = 54.4 GeV exhibit a non-zero v2 in the transverse momentum (pT) region of pT< 2 GeV/c with the magnitude comparable to that at sNN−−−√=200 GeV. The measured eHF v2 at 54.4 GeV is also consistent with the expectation of their parent charm hadron v2 following number-of-constituent-quark scaling as other light and strange flavor hadrons at this energy. These suggest that charm quarks gain significant collectivity through the evolution of the QCD medium and may reach local thermal equilibrium in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√=54.4 GeV. The measured eHF v2 in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√= 27 GeV is consistent with zero within large uncertainties. The energy dependence of v2 for different flavor particles (π,ϕ,D0/eHF) shows an indication of quark mass hierarchy in reaching thermalization in high-energy nuclear collisions.
Elliptic flow of heavy-flavor decay electrons in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 27 and 54.4 GeV at RHIC
(2023)
We report on new measurements of elliptic flow (v2) of electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays at mid-rapidity (|y|<0.8) in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√ = 27 and 54.4 GeV from the STAR experiment. Heavy-flavor decay electrons (eHF) in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√ = 54.4 GeV exhibit a non-zero v2 in the transverse momentum (pT) region of pT< 2 GeV/c with the magnitude comparable to that at sNN−−−√=200 GeV. The measured eHF v2 at 54.4 GeV is also consistent with the expectation of their parent charm hadron v2 following number-of-constituent-quark scaling as other light and strange flavor hadrons at this energy. These suggest that charm quarks gain significant collectivity through the evolution of the QCD medium and may reach local thermal equilibrium in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√=54.4 GeV. The measured eHF v2 in Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√= 27 GeV is consistent with zero within large uncertainties. The energy dependence of v2 for different flavor particles (π,ϕ,D0/eHF) shows an indication of quark mass hierarchy in reaching thermalization in high-energy nuclear collisions.
We measure triangular flow relative to the reaction plane at 3 GeV center-of-mass energy in Au+Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A significant v3 signal for protons is observed, which increases for higher rapidity, higher transverse momentum, and more peripheral collisions. The triangular flow is essentially rapidity-odd with a slope at mid-rapidity, dv3/dy|(y=0), opposite in sign compared to the slope for directed flow. No significant v3 signal is observed for charged pions and kaons. Comparisons with models suggest that a mean field potential is required to describe these results, and that the triangular shape of the participant nucleons is the result of stopping and nuclear geometry.
We report results on an elastic cross section measurement in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy s√=510 GeV, obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section is measured in the four-momentum transfer squared range 0.23≤−t≤0.67 GeV2. We find that a constant slope B does not fit the data in the aforementioned t range, and we obtain a much better fit using a second-order polynomial for B(t). The t dependence of B is determined using six subintervals of t in the STAR measured t range, and is in good agreement with the phenomenological models. The measured elastic differential cross section dσ/dt agrees well with the results obtained at s√=546 GeV for proton--antiproton collisions by the UA4 experiment. We also determine that the integrated elastic cross section within the STAR t-range is σfidel=462.1±0.9(stat.)±1.1(syst.)±11.6(scale) μb.
We report the first measurements of cumulants, up to 4𝑡ℎ order, of deuteron number distributions and protondeuteron correlations in Au+Au collisions recorded by the STAR experiment in phase-I of Beam Energy Scan (BES) program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Deuteron cumulants, their ratios, and proton-deuteron mixed cumulants are presented for different collision centralities covering a range of center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair √𝑠NN = 7.7 to 200 GeV. It is found that the cumulant ratios at lower collision energies favor a canonical ensemble over a grand canonical ensemble in thermal models. An anti-correlation between proton and deuteron multiplicity is observed across all collision energies and centralities, consistent with the expectation from global baryon number conservation. The UrQMD model coupled with a phase-space coalescence mechanism qualitatively reproduces the collision-energy dependence of cumulant ratios and proton-deuteron correlations.
We report results on an elastic cross section measurement in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy s√=510 GeV, obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section is measured in the four-momentum transfer squared range 0.23≤−t≤0.67 GeV2. We find that a constant slope B does not fit the data in the aforementioned t range, and we obtain a much better fit using a second-order polynomial for B(t). The t dependence of B is determined using six subintervals of t in the STAR measured t range, and is in good agreement with the phenomenological models. The measured elastic differential cross section dσ/dt agrees well with the results obtained at s√=546~GeV for proton--antiproton collisions by the UA4 experiment. We also determine that the integrated elastic cross section within the STAR t-range is σfidel=462.1±0.9(stat.)±1.1(syst.)±11.6(scale) μb.
We report results on an elastic cross section measurement in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy s√=510 GeV, obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section is measured in the four-momentum transfer squared range 0.23≤−t≤0.67 GeV2. We find that a constant slope B does not fit the data in the aforementioned t range, and we obtain a much better fit using a second-order polynomial for B(t). The t dependence of B is determined using six subintervals of t in the STAR measured t range, and is in good agreement with the phenomenological models. The measured elastic differential cross section dσ/dt agrees well with the results obtained at s√=546 GeV for proton--antiproton collisions by the UA4 experiment. We also determine that the integrated elastic cross section within the STAR t-range is σfidel=462.1±0.9(stat.)±1.1(syst.)±11.6(scale) μb.
We report the first measurements of cumulants, up to 4th order, of deuteron number distributions and proton-deuteron correlations in Au+Au collisions recorded by the STAR experiment in phase-I of Beam Energy Scan (BES) program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Deuteron cumulants, their ratios, and proton-deuteron mixed cumulants are presented for different collision centralities covering a range of center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sNN−−−−√~=~7.7 to 200~GeV. It is found that the cumulant ratios at lower collision energies favor a canonical ensemble over a grand canonical ensemble in thermal models. An anti-correlation between proton and deuteron multiplicity is observed across all collision energies and centralities, consistent with the expectation from global baryon number conservation. The UrQMD model coupled with a phase-space coalescence mechanism qualitatively reproduces the collision-energy dependence of cumulant ratios and proton-deuteron correlations.
In relativistic heavy-ion collisions, a global spin polarization, PH, of Λ and Λ¯ hyperons along the direction of the system angular momentum was discovered and measured across a broad range of collision energies and demonstrated a trend of increasing PH with decreasing sNN−−−√. A splitting between Λ and Λ¯ polarization may be possible due to their different magnetic moments in a late-stage magnetic field sustained by the quark-gluon plasma which is formed in the collision. The results presented in this study find no significant splitting at the collision energies of sNN−−−√=19.6 and 27 GeV in the RHIC Beam Energy Scan Phase II using the STAR detector, with an upper limit of PΛ¯−PΛ<0.24% and PΛ¯−PΛ<0.35%, respectively, at a 95% confidence level. We derive an upper limit on the naïve extraction of the late-stage magnetic field of B<9.4⋅1012 T and B<1.4⋅1013 T at sNN−−−√=19.6 and 27 GeV, respectively, although more thorough derivations are needed. Differential measurements of PH were performed with respect to collision centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity. With our current acceptance of |y|<1 and uncertainties, we observe no dependence on transverse momentum and rapidity in this analysis. These results challenge multiple existing model calculations following a variety of different assumptions which have each predicted a strong dependence on rapidity in this collision-energy range.
In relativistic heavy-ion collisions, a global spin polarization, PH, of Λ and Λ¯ hyperons along the direction of the system angular momentum was discovered and measured across a broad range of collision energies and demonstrated a trend of increasing PH with decreasing sNN−−−√. A splitting between Λ and Λ¯ polarization may be possible due to their different magnetic moments in a late-stage magnetic field sustained by the quark-gluon plasma which is formed in the collision. The results presented in this study find no significant splitting at the collision energies of sNN−−−√=19.6 and 27 GeV in the RHIC Beam Energy Scan Phase II using the STAR detector, with an upper limit of PΛ¯−PΛ<0.24% and PΛ¯−PΛ<0.35%, respectively, at a 95% confidence level. We derive an upper limit on the naïve extraction of the late-stage magnetic field of B<9.4⋅1012 T and B<1.4⋅1013 T at sNN−−−√=19.6 and 27 GeV, respectively, although more thorough derivations are needed. Differential measurements of PH were performed with respect to collision centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity. With our current acceptance of |y|<1 and uncertainties, we observe no dependence on transverse momentum and rapidity in this analysis. These results challenge multiple existing model calculations following a variety of different assumptions which have each predicted a strong dependence on rapidity in this collision-energy range.
In relativistic heavy-ion collisions, a global spin polarization, PH, of Λ and Λ¯ hyperons along the direction of the system angular momentum was discovered and measured across a broad range of collision energies and demonstrated a trend of increasing PH with decreasing sNN−−−√. A splitting between Λ and Λ¯ polarization may be possible due to their different magnetic moments in a late-stage magnetic field sustained by the quark-gluon plasma which is formed in the collision. The results presented in this study find no significant splitting at the collision energies of sNN−−−√=19.6 and 27 GeV in the RHIC Beam Energy Scan Phase II using the STAR detector, with an upper limit of PΛ¯−PΛ<0.24% and PΛ¯−PΛ<0.35%, respectively, at a 95% confidence level. We derive an upper limit on the naïve extraction of the late-stage magnetic field of B<9.4⋅1012 T and B<1.4⋅1013 T at sNN−−−√=19.6 and 27 GeV, respectively, although more thorough derivations are needed. Differential measurements of PH were performed with respect to collision centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity. With our current acceptance of |y|<1 and uncertainties, we observe no dependence on transverse momentum and rapidity in this analysis. These results challenge multiple existing model calculations following a variety of different assumptions which have each predicted a strong dependence on rapidity in this collision-energy range.
We report inclusive photon measurements about midrapidity ( |y| <0.5 ) from 197 Au + 197 Au collisions at sqrt[sNN ]=130 GeV at RHIC. Photon pair conversions were reconstructed from electron and positron tracks measured with the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) of the STAR experiment. With this method, an energy resolution of Delta E/E ~ 2% at 0.5 GeV has been achieved. Reconstructed photons have also been used to measure the transverse momentum ( pt ) spectra of pi 0 mesons about midrapidity ( |y| <1 ) via the pi 0 --> gamma gamma decay channel. The fractional contribution of the pi 0 --> gamma gamma decay to the inclusive photon spectrum decreases by 20%±5% between pt =1.65 GeV/c and pt =2.4 GeV/c in the most central events, indicating that relative to pi 0 --> gamma gamma decay the contribution of other photon sources is substantially increasing.
We report on the rapidity and centrality dependence of proton and antiproton transverse mass distributions from 197Au + 197Au collisions at sqrt[sNN ]=130 GeV as measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Our results are from the rapidity and transverse momentum range of |y| <0.5 and 0.35< pt <1.00 GeV/c . For both protons and antiprotons, transverse mass distributions become more convex from peripheral to central collisions demonstrating characteristics of collective expansion. The measured rapidity distributions and the mean transverse momenta versus rapidity are flat within |y| <0.5 . Comparisons of our data with results from model calculations indicate that in order to obtain a consistent picture of the proton (antiproton) yields and transverse mass distributions the possibility of prehadronic collective expansion may have to be taken into account.
We present the first large-acceptance measurement of event-wise mean transverse momentum <pt> fluctuations for Au-Au collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-momentum collision energy sqrt[sNN] = 130 GeV. The observed nonstatistical <pt> fluctuations substantially exceed in magnitude fluctuations expected from the finite number of particles produced in a typical collision. The r.m.s. fractional width excess of the event-wise <pt> distribution is 13.7±0.1(stat) ±1.3(syst)% relative to a statistical reference, for the 15% most-central collisions and for charged hadrons within pseudorapidity range | eta |<1,2 pi azimuth, and 0.15 <= pt <= 2 GeV/c. The width excess varies smoothly but nonmonotonically with collision centrality and does not display rapid changes with centrality which might indicate the presence of critical fluctuations. The reported <pt> fluctuation excess is qualitatively larger than those observed at lower energies and differs markedly from theoretical expectations. Contributions to <pt> fluctuations from semihard parton scattering in the initial state and dissipation in the bulk colored medium are discussed.
We present STAR measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy parameter v2 and the binary-collision scaled centrality ratio RCP for kaons and lambdas ( Lambda + Lambda -bar) at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV. In combination, the v2 and RCP particle-type dependencies contradict expectations from partonic energy loss followed by standard fragmentation in vacuum. We establish pT ~ 5 GeV/c as the value where the centrality dependent baryon enhancement ends. The K0S and Lambda + Lambda -bar v2 values are consistent with expectations of constituent-quark-number scaling from models of hadron formation by parton coalescence or recombination.
Pion-kaon correlation functions are constructed from central Au+Au STAR data taken at sqrt[sNN]=130 GeV by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The results suggest that pions and kaons are not emitted at the same average space-time point. Space-momentum correlations, i.e., transverse flow, lead to a space-time emission asymmetry of pions and kaons that is consistent with the data. This result provides new independent evidence that the system created at RHIC undergoes a collective transverse expansion.
We report high statistics measurements of inclusive charged hadron production in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV. A large, approximately constant hadron suppression is observed in central Au+Au collisions for 5<pT<12 GeV/c. The collision energy dependence of the yields and the centrality and pT dependence of the suppression provide stringent constraints on theoretical models of suppression. Models incorporating initial-state gluon saturation or partonic energy loss in dense matter are largely consistent with observations. We observe no evidence of pT-dependent suppression, which may be expected from models incorporating jet attenuation in cold nuclear matter or scattering of fragmentation hadrons.
We present the results of charged particle fluctuations measurements in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN ]=130 GeV using the STAR detector. Dynamical fluctuations measurements are presented for inclusive charged particle multiplicities as well as for identified charged pions, kaons, and protons. The net charge dynamical fluctuations are found to be large and negative providing clear evidence that positive and negative charged particle production is correlated within the pseudorapidity range investigated. Correlations are smaller than expected based on model-dependent predictions for a resonance gas or a quark-gluon gas which undergoes fast hadronization and freeze-out. Qualitative agreement is found with comparable scaled p+p measurements and a heavy ion jet interaction generation model calculation based on independent particle collisions, although a small deviation from the 1/N scaling dependence expected from this model is observed.
We report measurements of single-particle inclusive spectra and two-particle azimuthal distributions of charged hadrons at high transverse momentum (high pT) in minimum bias and central d+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV. The inclusive yield is enhanced in d+Au collisions relative to binary-scaled p+p collisions, while the two-particle azimuthal distributions are very similar to those observed in p+p collisions. These results demonstrate that the strong suppression of the inclusive yield and back-to-back correlations at high pT previously observed in central Au+Au collisions are due to final-state interactions with the dense medium generated in such collisions.
Transverse mass and rapidity distributions for charged pions, charged kaons, protons, and antiprotons are reported for sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV pp and Au+Au collisions at Relativistic Heary Ion Collider (RHIC). Chemical and kinetic equilibrium model fits to our data reveal strong radial flow and long duration from chemical to kinetic freeze-out in central Au+Au collisions. The chemical freeze-out temperature appears to be independent of initial conditions at RHIC energies.
Measurements of the production of forward high-energy pi 0 mesons from transversely polarized proton collisions at sqrt[s]=200 GeV are reported. The cross section is generally consistent with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The analyzing power is small at xF below about 0.3, and becomes positive and large at higher xF, similar to the trend in data at sqrt[s] <= 20 GeV. The analyzing power is in qualitative agreement with perturbative QCD model expectations. This is the first significant spin result seen for particles produced with pT>1 GeV/c at a polarized proton collider.
We report results on rho (770)0--> pi + pi - production at midrapidity in p+p and peripheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV. This is the first direct measurement of rho (770)0--> pi + pi - in heavy-ion collisions. The measured rho 0 peak in the invariant mass distribution is shifted by ~40 MeV/c2 in minimum bias p+p interactions and ~70 MeV/c2 in peripheral Au+Au collisions. The rho 0 mass shift is dependent on transverse momentum and multiplicity. The modification of the rho 0 meson mass, width, and shape due to phase space and dynamical effects are discussed.
We report the first observations of the first harmonic (directed flow, v1) and the fourth harmonic (v4), in the azimuthal distribution of particles with respect to the reaction plane in Au+Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Both measurements were done taking advantage of the large elliptic flow (v2) generated at RHIC. From the correlation of v2 with v1 it is determined that v2 is positive, or in-plane. The integrated v4 is about a factor of 10 smaller than v2. For the sixth (v6) and eighth (v8) harmonics upper limits on the magnitudes are reported.
Azimuthally sensitive Hanbury Brown-Twiss interferometry in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV
(2004)
We present the results of a systematic study of the shape of the pion distribution in coordinate space at freeze-out in Au+Au collisions at BNL RHIC using two-pion Hanbury Brown-Twiss (HBT) interferometry. Oscillations of the extracted HBT radii versus emission angle indicate sources elongated perpendicular to the reaction plane. The results indicate that the pressure and expansion time of the collision system are not sufficient to completely quench its initial shape.
We report on a polarization measurement of inclusive J/ψ mesons in the di-electron decay channel at mid-rapidity at 2 < pT < 6 GeV/c in p + p collisions at √s = 200 GeV. Data were taken with the STAR detector at RHIC. The J/ψ polarization measurement should help to distinguish between different models of the J/ψ production mechanism since they predict different pT dependences of the J/ψ polarization. In this analysis, J/ψ polarization is studied in the helicity frame. The polarization parameter λθ measured at RHIC becomes smaller towards high pT , indicating more longitudinal J/ψ polarization as pT increases. The result is compared with predictions of presently available models.
A data-driven method was applied to Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV made with the STAR detector at RHIC to isolate pseudorapidity distance η-dependent and η-independent correlations by using two- and four-particle azimuthal cumulant measurements. We identified a η-independent component of the correlation, which is dominated by anisotropic flow and flow fluctuations. It was also found to be independent of η within the measured range of pseudorapidity |η| < 1. In 20–30% central Au+Au collisions, the relative flow fluctuation was found to be 34%±2%(stat.)±3%(sys.) for particles with transverse momentum pT less than 2 GeV/c. The η-dependent part, attributed to nonflow correlations, is found to be 5% ± 2%(sys.) relative to the flow of the measured second harmonic cumulant at |η| > 0.7.
The linear and mode-coupled contributions to higher-order anisotropic flow are presented for Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√ = 27, 39, 54.4, and 200 GeV and compared to similar measurements for Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The coefficients and the flow harmonics' correlations, which characterize the linear and mode-coupled response to the lower-order anisotropies, indicate a beam energy dependence consistent with an influence from the specific shear viscosity (η/s). In contrast, the dimensionless coefficients, mode-coupled response coefficients, and normalized symmetric cumulants are approximately beam-energy independent, consistent with a significant role from initial-state effects. These measurements could provide unique supplemental constraints to (i) distinguish between different initial-state models and (ii) delineate the temperature (T) and baryon chemical potential (μB) dependence of the specific shear viscosity ηs(T,μB).
The linear and mode-coupled contributions to higher-order anisotropic flow are presented for Au+Au collisions at √sN N = 27, 39, 54.4, and 200 GeV and compared to similar measurements for Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The coefficients and the flow harmonics’ correlations, which characterize the linear and mode-coupled response to the lower-order anisotropies, indicate a beam energy dependence consistent with an influence from the specific shear viscosity (η/s). In contrast, the dimensionless coefficients, mode-coupled response coefficients, and normalized symmetric cumulants are approximately beam-energy independent, consistent with a significant role from initialstate effects. These measurements could provide unique supplemental constraints to (i) distinguish between different initial-state models and (ii) delineate the temperature (T ) and baryon chemical potential (μB ) dependence of the specific shear viscosity η s (T ,μB ).
Observation of directed flow of hypernuclei Λ³H and Λ⁴H in √sNN = 3 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC
(2023)
We report here the first observation of directed flow (v1) of the hypernuclei 3ΛH and 4ΛH in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sNN−−−√ = 3 GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165 × 106 events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 3ΛH and 5200 4ΛH candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v1 slopes of 3ΛH and 4ΛH follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in such collisions.