Dilepton mass spectra in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV and the contribution from open charm

PHENIX has measured the electron-positron pair mass spectrum from 0 to 8 GeV/c(2) in p + p collisions at root s = 200 GeV. The contributions from light meson decays to e(+)e(-) pairs have been determined based on measurements of hadron production cross sections by PHENIX. Within the systematic uncertainty of similar to 20% they account for all e(+)e(-) pairs in the mass region below similar to 1 GeV/c(2). The e(+)e(-) pair yield remaining after subtracting these contributions is dominated by semileptonic decays of charmed hadrons correlated through flavor conservation. Using the spectral shape predicted by PYTHIA, we estimate the charm production cross section to be 544 +/- 39(stat) +/- 142(syst) +/- 200(model) pb. which is consistent with QCD calculations and measurements of single leptons by PHENIX

Inclusive cross section and double helicity asymmetry for pi(0) production in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV: Implications for the polarized gluon distribution in the proton

The PHENIX experiment presents results from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider 2005 run with polarized proton collisions at root s=200 GeV, for inclusive pi(0) production at midrapidity. Unpolarized cross section results are given for transverse momenta p(T)=0.5 to 20 GeV/c, extending the range of published data to both lower and higher p(T). The cross section is described well for p(T)\u3c 1 GeV/c by an exponential in p(T), and, for p(T)\u3e 2 GeV/c, by perturbative QCD. Double helicity asymmetries A(LL) are presented based on a factor of 5 improvement in uncertainties as compared to previously published results, due to both an improved beam polarization of 50%, and to higher integrated luminosity. These measurements are sensitive to the gluon polarization in the proton. Using one representative model of gluon polarization it is demonstrated that the gluon spin contribution to the proton spin is significantly constrained

Measurement of High-p(T) single electrons from heavy-flavor decays in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV

The momentum distribution of electrons from decays of heavy flavor (charm and bottom) for midrapidity |y|\u3c 0.35 in p+p collisions at s=200 GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over the transverse momentum range 0.3 \u3c p(T)\u3c 9 GeV/c. Two independent methods have been used to determine the heavy-flavor yields, and the results are in good agreement with each other. A fixed-order-plus-next-to-leading-log perturbative QCD calculation agrees with the data within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties, with the data/theory ratio of 1.71 +/- 0.02(stat)+/- 0.18(sys) for 0.3 \u3c p(T)\u3c 9 GeV/c. The total charm production cross section at this energy has also been deduced to be sigma(cc)=567 +/- 57(stat)+/- 193(sys) mu b

J/psi production in root s(NN)=200 GeV Cu+Cu collisions

Yields for J/psi production in Cu+Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV have been measured over the rapidity range |y|\u3c 2.2 and compared with results in p+p and Au+Au collisions at the same energy. The Cu+Cu data offer greatly improved precision over existing Au+Au data for J/psi production in collisions with small to intermediate numbers of participants, in the range where the quark-gluon plasma transition threshold is predicted to lie. Cold nuclear matter estimates based on ad hoc fits to d+Au data describe the Cu+Cu data up to N-part similar to 50, corresponding to a Bjorken energy density of at least 1.5 GeV/fm(3)

Event structure and double helicity asymmetry in jet production from polarized p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

We report on the event structure and double helicity asymmetry (A(LL)) of jet production in longitudinally polarized p + p collisions at root s = 200 GeV. Photons and charged particles were measured by the PHENIX experiment at midrapidity vertical bar eta vertical bar \u3c 0.35 with the requirement of a high-momentum (\u3e 2 GeV/c) photon in the event. Event structure, such as multiplicity, p(T) density and thrust in the PHENIX acceptance, were measured and compared with the results from the PYTHIA event generator and the GEANT detector simulation. 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 pT sum (p(T)(reco)). The effect of detector response and the underlying events on p(T)(reco) was evaluated with the simulation. The production rate of reconstructed jets is satisfactorily reproduced with the next-to-leading-order and perturbative quantum chromodynamics jet production cross section. For 4\u3c p(T)(reco) \u3c 12 GeV/c with an average beam polarization of \u3c P \u3e = 49% we measured Lambda(LL) = -0.0014 +/- 0.0037(stat) at the lowest p(T)(reco) bin (4-5 GeV= c) and -0.0181 +/- 0.0282(stat) at the highest p(T)(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)(reco) range arise primarily from hard-scattered gluons with momentum fraction 0: 02 \u3c x \u3c 0: 3 according to PYTHIA. The measured A(LL) is compared with predictions that assume various Delta G(x) distributions based on the Gluck-Reya-Stratmann-Vogelsang parameterization. The present result imposes the limit -a.1 \u3c integral(0.3)(0.02) dx Delta G(x, mu(2) = GeV2) \u3c 0.4 at 95% confidence level or integral(0.3)(0.002) dx Delta G(x, mu(2) = 1 GeV2) \u3c 0.5 at 99% confidence level

J/psi production versus transverse momentum and rapidity in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV

J/psi production in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over a rapidity range of -2.2 \u3c y \u3c 2.2 and a transverse momentum range of 0 \u3c p(T)\u3c 9 GeV/c. The size of the present data set allows a detailed measurement of both the p(T) and the rapidity distributions and is sufficient to constrain production models. The total cross section times the branching ratio is B-ll sigma(J/psi)(pp)=178 +/- 3(stat)+/- 53(sys)+/- 18(norm) nb

System-size dependence of open-heavy-flavor production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

The PHENIX Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has measured open-heavy-flavor production in Cu + Cu collisions at v root 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 similar to 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) \u3e 3 GeV/c, the suppression reaches R-AA similar to 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 a similar number of participating nucleons \u3c N-part \u3e

Nuclear-modification factor for open-heavy-flavor production at forward rapidity in Cu plus Cu collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

Background: Heavy-flavor production in p + p collisions is a good test of 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. Midrapidity heavy-flavor R-AA measurements at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider have challenged parton-energy-loss models and resulted in upper limits on the viscosity-entropy ratio that are near the quantum lower bound. Such measurements have not been made in the forward-rapidity region. Purpose: Determine transverse-momentum (p(T)) spectra and the corresponding R-AA for muons from heavy-flavor meson decay in p + p and Cu + Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV and y = 1.65. Method: Results are obtained using the semileptonic 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 root s = 200 GeV, integrated over p(T) and in the rapidity range 1.4 \u3c y \u3c 1.9, is found to be d(sigma e (e) over bar)/dy = 0.139 +/- 0.029 (stat)(-0.058)(+0.051) (syst) mb. This result is consistent with a perturbative fixed-order-plus-next-to-leading-log calculation within scale uncertainties and is also consistent with expectations based on the corresponding midrapidity charm-production cross section measured by PHENIX. The R-AA for heavy-flavor muons in Cu + Cu collisions is measured in three centrality bins for 1 \u3c p(T) \u3c 4 GeV/c. Suppression relative to binary-collision scaling (R-AA \u3c 1) increases with centrality. Conclusions: Within experimental and theoretical uncertainties, the measured charm 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

PHENIX upgrade: Novel stripixel detector for heavy quark detection and proton spin structure measurements at RHIC energies

New design of silicon stripixel sensor has been developed at BNL for PHENIX upgrade. The sensor is a single-sided, DC-coupled, two-dimensional position sensitive device with good position resolution. This design is simpler for sensor fabrication and signal processing than the conventional double-sided strip sensor. HPK has produced pre-production stripixel sensors with thickness of 625 μm. The quality assurance tests show that the very low leakage current 0.12 nA per strip allows the use of the SVX4 chip. A long term stability test shows that the leakage current is stable over a long period of time. The study of the effects of irradiation on the performance of the stripixel sensor has been made using p+p collisions at 200 GeV at PHENIX, 14 MeV neutron and 20 MeV proton beams

Deuteron and antideuteron production in Au+Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

The production of deuterons and antideuterons in the transverse momentum range 1.1 \u3c p(T)\u3c 4.3 GeV/c at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV has been studied by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. A coalescence analysis, comparing the deuteron and antideuteron spectra with that of proton and antiproton, has been performed. The coalescence probability is equal for both deuterons and antideuterons and it increases as a function of p(T), which is consistent with an expanding collision zone. Comparing (anti)proton yields, (p) over bar /p = 0.73 +/- 0.01, with (anti)deuteron yields, (d) over bar /d = 0.47 +/- 0.03, we estimate that (n) over bar /n = 0.64 +/- 0.04. The nucleon phase space density is estimated from the coalescence measurement