Searching for the QCD Critical Point Using Particle Ratio Fluctuations and Higher Moments of Multiplicity Distributions

Dynamical fluctuations in global conserved quantities such as baryon number, strangeness, or charge may be observed near a QCD critical point. Results from new measurements of dynamical $K/\pi$, $p/\pi$, and $K/p$ ratio fluctuations are presented. The commencing of a QCD critical point search at RHIC has extended the reach of possible measurements of dynamical $K/\pi$, $p/\pi$, and $K/p$ ratio fluctuations from Au+Au collisions to lower energies. The STAR experiment has performed a comprehensive study of the energy dependence of these dynamical fluctuations in Au+Au collisions at the energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7, 11.5, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV. New results are compared to previous measurements and to theoretical predictions from several models. The measured dynamical $K/\pi$ fluctuations are found to be independent of collision energy, while dynamical $p/\pi$ and $K/p$ fluctuations have a negative value that increases toward zero at top RHIC energy. Fluctuations of the higher moments of conserved quantities (net-proton and net-charge) distributions, which are predicted to be sensitive to the presence of a critical point, are also presented.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the 21st International Conference On Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (Quark Matter 2011), Annecy, France, May 23 - May 28, 201

Directed and Elliptic Flow of Charged Particles in Cu + Cu Collisions at √ˢᶰᶰ =22.4 GeV

This paper reports results for directed flow v1 and elliptic flow v2 of charged particles in Cu + Cu collisions at √ˢᶰᶰ = 22.4 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The measurements are for the 0-60% most central collisions, using charged particles observed in the STAR detector. Our measurements extend to 22.4-GeV Cu + Cu collisions the prior observation that v1 is independent of the system size at 62.4 and 200 GeV and also extend the scaling of v1 with η/ybeam to this system. The measured v2pT in Cu + Cu collisions is similar for root √ˢᶰᶰ throughout the range 22.4 to 200 GeV. We also report a comparison with results from transport model (ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics and multiphase transport model) calculations. The model results do not agree quantitatively with the measured v1(η), v2pT, and v2(η)

Energy and System Size Dependence of Two- and Four-Particle ν2 Measurements in Heavy-Ion Collisions at √ˢᴺᴺ = 62.4 and 200 GeV and Their Implications on Flow Fluctuations and Nonflow

We present STAR measurements of azimuthal anisotropy by means of the two- and four-particle cumulants ν2 ν2{2} and ν2{4}) for Au + Au and Cu + Cu collisions at center-of-mass energies √ˢᴺᴺ = 62.4 and 200 GeV. The difference between ν2{2}2 and ν2{4}2 is related to ν2fluctuations (σν2) and nonflow (δ2). We present an upper limit to σν2/ν2. Following the assumption that eccentricity fluctuations σε dominate ν2 fluctuations σν2/ν2 ≈ σε/ε we deduce the nonflow implied for several models of eccentricity fluctuations that would be required for consistency with ν2{2} and ν2{4}. We also present results on the ratio of ν2 to eccentricity

Experimental Studies of Di-Jets in Au + Au Collisions Using Angular Correlations With Respect to Back-to-Back Leading Hadrons

Jet-medium interactions are studied via a multihadron correlation technique ( called 2 + 1 ), where a pair of back-to-back hadron triggers with large transverse momentum is used as a proxy for a di-jet. This work extends the previous analysis for nearly symmetric trigger pairs with the highest momentum threshold of trigger hadron of 5 GeV/c with the new calorimeter-based triggers with energy thresholds of up to 10 GeV and above. The distributions of associated hadrons are studied in terms of correlation shapes and per-trigger yields on each trigger side. In contrast with di-hadron correlation results with single triggers, the associated hadron distributions for back-to-back triggers from central Au + Au data at √ˢᴺᴺ = 200 GeV show no strong modifications compared to d + Au data at the same energy. An imbalance in the total transverse momentum between hadrons attributed to the near-side and away-side of jetlike peaks is observed. The relative imbalance in the Au + Au measurement with respect to d + Au reference is found to increase with the asymmetry of the trigger pair, consistent with the expectation from medium-induced energy-loss effects. In addition, this relative total transverse momentum imbalance is found to decrease for softer associated hadrons. Such evolution indicates that the energy missing at higher associated momenta is converted into softer hadrons

Anomalous Centrality Evolution of Two-Particle Angular Correlations from Au-Au Collisions at √ˢᴺᴺ = 62 and 200 GeV

We present two-dimensional (2D) two-particle angular correlations measured with the STAR detector on relative pseudorapidity η and ϕ for charged particles from Au-Au collisions at √ˢᴺᴺ = 62 and 200 GeV with transverse momentum pt ≥ 0.15 GeV/c, │η│ ≤ 1, and 2 π in azimuth. Observed correlations include a same-side (relative azimuth \u3cπ/2) 2D peak, a closely related away-side azimuth dipole, and an azimuth quadrupole conventionally associated with elliptic flow. The same-side 2D peak and away-side dipole are explained by semihard parton scattering and fragmentation (minijets) in proton-proton and peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions. Those structures follow N-N binary-collision scaling in Au-Au collisions until midcentrality, where a transition to a qualitatively different centrality trend occurs within one 10% centrality bin. Above the transition point the number of same-side and away-side correlated pairs increases rapidly relative to binary-collision scaling, the η width of the same-side 2D peak also increases rapidly (η elongation), and the ϕ width actually decreases significantly. Those centrality trends are in marked contrast with conventional expectations for jet quenching in a dense medium. The observed centrality trends are compared to perturbative QCD predictions computed in HIJING, which serve as a theoretical baseline, and to the expected trends for semihard parton scattering and fragmentation in a thermalized opaque medium predicted by theoretical calculations and phenomenological models. We are unable to reconcile a semihard parton scattering and fragmentation origin for the observed correlation structure and centrality trends with heavy-ion collision scenarios that invoke rapid parton thermalization. If the collision system turns out to be effectively opaque to few-GeV partons the present observations would be inconsistent with the minijet picture discussed here

Event Plane Dependent Dihadron Correlations with Harmonic Vⁿ Subtraction in Au + Au Collisions at √ˢᴺᴺ = 200 GeV

STAR measurements of dihadron azimuthal correlations (ΔΦ) are reported in midcentral (20-60%) Au + Au collisions at √ˢᴺᴺ = 200 GeV as a function of the trigger particle\u27s azimuthal angle relative to the event plane, Φs = | Φt- ΨEP|. The elliptic (v2), triangular (v3), and quadratic (v4) flow harmonic backgrounds are subtracted using the zero yield at minimum (ZYAM) method. It is found that a finite near-side (|ΔΦ| \u3c π/2) long-range pseudorapidity correlation (ridge) is present in the in-plane direction (Φs ~ 0). The away-side (|ΔΦ| \u3e π/2) correlation shows a modification from d+ Au data, varying with Φs. The modification may be a consequence of path-length-dependent jet quenching and may lead to a better understanding of high-density QCD

Measurement of Charge Multiplicity Asymmetry Correlations in High-Energy Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions at √ˢᶰᶰ = 200 GeV

A study is reported of the same-and opposite-sign charge-dependent azimuthal correlations with respect to the event plane in Au+ Au collisions at √ˢᶰᶰ = 200 GeV. The charge multiplicity asymmetries between the up/down and left/right hemispheres relative to the event plane are utilized. The contributions from statistical fluctuations and detector effects were subtracted from the (co-) variance of the observed charge multiplicity asymmetries. In the mid-to most-central collisions, the same- (opposite-) sign pairs are preferentially emitted in back-to-back (aligned on the same-side) directions. The charge separation across the event plane, measured by the difference, Δ, between the like-and unlike-sign up/down-left/right correlations, is largest near the event plane. The difference is found to be proportional to the event-by-event final-state particle ellipticity (via the observed second order harmonic vobs2, where Δ = [ 1.3 ± 1.4(stat) +4.0 -1.0(syst)] x 10-5 + [3.2 ± 0.2(stat) +0.4-0.3 (syst)] x 10-3 vobs2 for 20- 40% Au + Au collisions. The implications for the proposed chiral magnetic effect are discussed

Measurement of Longitudinal Spin Asymmetries for Weak Boson Production in Polarized Proton-Proton Collisions at RHIC

We report measurements of single- and double-spin asymmetries for W± and Z/ɣ* boson production in longitudinally polarized p + p collisions at √s = 510 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The asymmetries for W± were measured as a function of the decay lepton pseudorapidity, which provides a theoretically clean probe of the proton\u27s polarized quark distributions at the scale of the W mass. The results are compared to theoretical predictions, constrained by polarized deep inelastic scattering measurements, and show a preference for a sizable, positive up antiquark polarization in the range 0.05 \u3c x \u3c 0.2

Elliptic Flow of Identified Hadrons in Au + Au Collisions at √ˢᴺᴺ = 7.7- 62.4 GeV

Measurements of the elliptic flow, υ2, of identified hadrons (π±, , K±, , KOs, p, p¯, ɸ, Λ, Λ¯, Ξ-, Ξ¯+, Ω-, Ω¯+ in Au + Au collisions at √ˢᴺᴺ = 7.7, 11.5, 19.6, 27, 39, and 62.4 GeV are presented. The measurements were done at midrapidity using the time-projection chamber and the time-of-flight detectors of the Solenoidal Tracker at RHIC experiment during the beam-energy scan program at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A significant difference in the υ2 values for particles and the corresponding antiparticles was observed at all transverse momenta for the first time. The difference increases with decreasing center-of-mass energy, √ˢᴺᴺ (or increasing baryon chemical potential, μB, and is larger for the baryons as compared to the mesons. This implies that particles and antiparticles are no longer consistent with the universal number-of-constituent quark (NCQ) scaling of υ2 that was observed at √ˢᴺᴺ = 200 GeV. However, for the selected group of particles (π+, K+, KOs, p, Λ, Ξ-, Ω- NCQ scaling at (mT - m0/nq \u3e 0.4 GeV/c2is not violated within ± 10%. The υ2 values for ɸ mesons at 7.7 and 11.5 GeV are approximately two standard deviations from the trend defined by the other hadrons at the highest measured pT values

Beam-Energy Dependence of the Directed Flow of Protons, Antiprotons, and Pions in Au+Au Collisions

Rapidity-odd directed flow (v1) measurements for charged pions, protons, and antiprotons near midrapidity (y= 0) are reported in √ˢᴺᴺ = 7.7, 11.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeVAu+Au collisions as recorded by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. At intermediate impact parameters, the proton and net-proton slope parameter d v1/ d y│y=0 shows a minimum between 11.5 and 19.6 GeV. In addition, the net-proton d v1/ d y│y=0 changes sign twice between 7.7 and 39 GeV. The proton and net-proton results qualitatively resemble predictions of a hydrodynamic model with a first-order phase transition from hadronic matter to deconfined matter, and differ from hadronic transport calculations