Modeling Quark Gluon Plasma Using CHIMERA

We attempt to model Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) evolution from the initial Heavy Ion collision to the final hadronic gas state by combining the Glauber model initial state conditions with eccentricity fluctuations, pre-equilibrium flow, UVH2+1 viscous hydrodynamics with lattice QCD Equation of State (EoS), a modified Cooper-Frye freeze-out and the UrQMD hadronic cascade. We then evaluate the model parameters using a comprehensive analytical framework which together with the described model we call CHIMERA. Within our framework, the initial state parameters, such as the initial temperature (T$_{\mathrm{init}}$), presence or absence of initial flow, viscosity over entropy density ($\eta$/s) and different Equations of State (EoS), are varied and then compared simultaneously to several experimental data observables: HBT radii, particle spectra and particle flow. $\chi^2$/nds values from comparison to the experimental data for each set of initial parameters will then used to find the optimal description of the QGP with parameters that are difficult to obtain experimentally, but are crucial to understanding of the matter produced.Comment: Proceedings for the 27th Winter Workshop on Nuclear Dynamics (2011) in Winter Park, C

First Result of Net-Charge Jet-Correlations from STAR

We presented results on azimuthal correlation of net-charge with high $p_T$ trigger particles. It is found that the net-charge correlation shape is similar to that of total-charge. On the near-side, the net-charge and total-charge $p_T$ spectra have similar shape and both are harder than the inclusives. On the away-side, the correlated spectra are not much harder than the inclusives, and the net-charge/total-charge ratio increases with $p_T$ and is similar to the inclusive ratio

Jet Correlations with Identified Particles from PHENIX: Methods and Results

Azimuthal angle two particle correlations have been shown to be a powerful probe for extracting novel features of the interaction between hard scattered partons and the medium produced in Au+Au collisions at RHIC. At intermediate $p_T$, 2-5GeV/c, the jets have been shown to be significantly modified in both their particle composition and their angular distribution compared to p+p collisions. Additionally, angular two particle correlations with identified hadrons provide information on the possible role of modified hadronization scenarios such as partonic recombination, which might allow medium modified jet fragmentation by connecting hard scattered partons to low $p_T$ thermal partons. PHENIX has excellent particle identification capabilities and has developed robust techniques for extracting jet correlations from the large underlying event. We present recent PHENIX results from Au+Au collisions for a variety of $p_T$ and particle type combinations. We also present p+p measurements as a baseline. We show evidence that protons and anti-protons in the $p_T$ region of enhanced baryon and anti-baryon single particle production are produced in close angle pairs of opposite charge and that the strong modifications to the away side shape observed for charged hadron correlations are also present when baryons are correlated.Comment: talk given at XIth International Workshop on Correlations and Fluctuations in Multiparticle Production, Hangzhou China November 21-24 200

Transverse Momentum and Centrality Dependence of High-pT Nonphotonic Electron Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at √sNN=200 GeV.

The STAR collaboration at the BNL Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) reports measurements of the inclusive yield of nonphotonic electrons, which arise dominantly from semileptonic decays of heavy flavor mesons, over a broad range of transverse momenta (1.2<pT<10  GeV/c) in p+p, d+Au, and Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200  GeV. The nonphotonic electron yield exhibits an unexpectedly large suppression in central Au+Au collisions at high pT, suggesting substantial heavy-quark energy loss at RHIC. The centrality and pT dependences of the suppression provide constraints on theoretical models of suppression

Forward Λ production and nuclear stopping power in d+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV

We report the measurement of Λ and Λ¯ yields and inverse slope parameters in d+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV at forward and backward rapidities (y=±2.75), using data from the STAR forward time projection chambers. The contributions of different processes to baryon transport and particle production are probed exploiting the inherent asymmetry of the d+Au system. Comparisons to model calculations show that baryon transport on the deuteron side is consistent with multiple collisions of the deuteron nucleons with gold participants. On the gold side, HIJING-based models without a hadronic rescattering phase do not describe the measured particle yields, while models that include target remnants or hadronic rescattering do. The multichain model can provide a good description of the net baryon density in d+Au collisions at energies currently available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, and the derived parameters of the model agree with those from nuclear collisions at lower energies

Constraining the initial temperature and shear viscosity in a hybrid hydrodynamic model of sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV Au+Au collisions using pion spectra, elliptic flow, and femtoscopic radii

A new framework for evaluating hydrodynamic models of relativistic heavy ion collisions has been developed. This framework, a Comprehesive Heavy Ion Model Evaluation and Reporting Algorithm (CHIMERA) has been implemented by augmenting UVH 2+1D viscous hydrodynamic model with eccentricity fluctuations, pre-equilibrium flow, and the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamic (UrQMD) hadronic cascade. A range of initial temperatures and shear viscosity to entropy ratios were evaluated for four initial profiles, $N_{part}$ and $N_{coll}$ scaling with and without pre-equilibrium flow. The model results were compared to pion spectra, elliptic flow, and femtoscopic radii from 200 GeV Au+Au collisions for the 0--20% centrality range.Two sets of initial density profiles, $N_{part}$ scaling with pre-equilibrium flow and $N_{coll}$ scaling without were shown to provide a consistent description of all three measurements.Comment: 21 pages, 32 figures, version 3 includes additional text for clarification, division of figures into more manageable units, and placement of chi-squared values in tables for ease of viewin

Test of Chemical freeze-out at RHIC

We present the results of a systematic test applying statistical thermal model fits in a consistent way for different particle ratios, and different system sizes using the various particle yields measured in the STAR experiment. Comparison between central and peripheral Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions with data from p+p collisions provides an interesting tool to verify the dependence with the system size. We also present a study of the rapidity dependence of the thermal fit parameters using available data from RHIC in the forward rapidity regions and also using different parameterization for the rapidity distribution of different particles.Comment: SQM2008 conference proceeding

Long range rapidity correlations and jet production in high energy nuclear collisions

The STAR Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider presents a systematic study of high-transverse-momentum charged-di-hadron correlations at small azimuthal pair separation Δϕ in d+Au and central Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV. Significant correlated yield for pairs with large longitudinal separation Δη is observed in central Au+Au collisions, in contrast to d+Au collisions. The associated yield distribution in Δη×Δϕ can be decomposed into a narrow jet-like peak at small angular separation which has a similar shape to that found in d+Au collisions, and a component that is narrow in Δϕ and depends only weakly on Δη, the “ridge.” Using two systematically independent determinations of the background normalization and shape, finite ridge yield is found to persist for trigger pt>6 GeV/c, indicating that it is correlated with jet production. The transverse-momentum spectrum of hadrons comprising the ridge is found to be similar to that of bulk particle production in the measured range (2<pt<4 GeV/c)

RHIC physics overview

The results from data taken during the last several years at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) will be reviewed in the paper. Several selected topics that further our understanding of constituent quark scaling, jet quenching and color screening effect of heavy quarkonia in the hot dense medium will be presented. Detector upgrades will further probe the properties of Quark Gluon Plasma. Future measurements with upgraded detectors will be presented. The discovery perspectives from future measurements will also be discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, invited review article, published by Frontier of Physics in Chin