Azimuthally sensitive Hanbury Brown-Twiss interferometry in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_{NN}) = 200 GeV

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 RHIC using two-pion Hanbury Brown-Twiss (HBT) interferometry. Oscillations of the extracted HBT radii vs. 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.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, published versio

Transverse momentum and collision energy dependence of high pTp_{T} hadron suppression in Au+Au collisions at ultrarelativistic energies

We report high statistics measurements of inclusive charged hadron production in Au+Au and p+p collisions at \sqrtsNN=200 GeV. A large, approximately constant hadron suppression is observed in central Au+Au collisions for 5\lt\pT\lt12 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 attentuation in cold nuclear matter or scattering of fragmentation hadrons.Comment: Final journal version. Data tables for figures may be downloaded from the STAR home page: http://www.star.bnl.gov --> Publications --> Access to STAR published dat

Particle-type dependence of azimuthal anisotropy and nuclear modification of particle production in Au+Au collisions at s(NN)**(1/2) = 200-GeV

We present STAR measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy parameter $v_2$ and the binary-collision scaled centrality ratio $R_{CP}$ for kaons and lambdas ($\Lambda+\bar{\Lambda}$) at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV. In combination, the $v_2$ and $R_{CP}$ particle-type dependencies contradict expectations from partonic energy loss followed by standard fragmentation in vacuum. We establish $p_T \approx 5$ GeV/c as the value where the centrality dependent baryon enhancement ends. The $K_S^0$ and $\Lambda+\bar{\Lambda}$ $v_2$ values are consistent with expectations of constituent-quark-number scaling from models of hadron fromation by parton coalescence or recombination.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. As published in PRL on Feb. 2, 2004; Significant revisions have been made to the text and color has been added to plot

Pion-Xi correlations in Au-Au collisions at STAR

We present pion-Xi correlation analysis in Au-Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)= 200 GeV and sqrt(s_NN) = 62.4 GeV, performed using the STAR detector at RHIC. A Xi*(1530) resonance signal is observed for the first time in Au-Au collisions. Experimental data are compared with theoretical predictions. The strength of the Xi* peak is reproduced in the correlation function assuming that pions and Xis emerge from a system in collective expansion.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of 18th Nuclear Physics Division Conference of the EPS (NPDC18),Prague, 23.8.-29.8. 200

Rapidity and centrality dependence of proton and antiproton production from 197Au + 197Au collisions at √SNN = 130 GeV

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

Inclusive pi0 spectra at high transverse momentum in d-Au collisions at RHIC

Preliminary results on inclusive neutral pion production in d-Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV in the pseudo-rapidity range 0<eta<1 are presented. The measurement is performed using the STAR Barrel Electromagnetic calorimeter (BEMC). In this paper, the analysis of the first BEMC hadron measurement is described and the results are compared with earlier RHIC findings. The pi0 invariant differential cross sections show good agreement with next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 18th Nuclear Physics Division Conference of the EPS, Prague, submitted to Nucl. Phys.

Evidence from d+Au measurements for final-state suppression of high pTp_T hadrons in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

We report measurements of single-particle inclusive spectra and two-particle azimuthal distributions of charged hadrons at high transverse momentum (high $p_T$) in minimum bias and central d+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=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 $p_T$ previously observed in central Au+Au collisions are due to final-state interactions with the dense medium generated in such collisions.Comment: Final journal version. Data tables for figures may be downloaded from the STAR home page: http://www.star.bnl.gov --> Publications --> Access to STAR published dat

Pion interferometry in Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{\mathrm{s}_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}} = 200 GeV

We present a systematic analysis of two-pion interferometry in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV using the STAR detector at RHIC. We extract the HBT radii and study their multiplicity, transverse momentum, and azimuthal angle dependence. The Gaussianess of the correlation function is studied. Estimates of the geometrical and dynamical structure of the freeze-out source are extracted by fits with blast wave parameterizations. The expansion of the source and its relation with the initial energy density distribution is studied.Comment: 21 pages, 30 figures. As published in Physics Review

Transverse-momentum dependent modification of dynamic texture in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(S_NN)=200 GeV

Correlations in the hadron distributions produced in relativistic Au+Au collisions are studied in the discrete wavelet expansion method. The analysis is performed in the space of pseudorapidity (|eta| < 1) and azimuth (full 2 pi) in bins of transverse momentum (p_t) from 0.14 < p_t < 2.1 GeV/c. In peripheral Au+Au collisions a correlation structure ascribed to mini-jet fragmentation is observed. It evolves with collision centrality and p_t in a way not seen before which suggests strong dissipation of minijet fragmentation in the longitudinally-expanding medium.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure, accepted as Phys.Rev.C Rapid Communication. This version fixes journal style issue

Multiplicity and Pseudorapidity Distributions of Charged Particles and Photons at Forward Pseudorapidity in Au + Au Collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 62.4 GeV

We present the centrality dependent measurement of multiplicity and pseudorapidity distributions of charged particles and photons in Au + Au collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 62.4 GeV. The charged particles and photons are measured in the pseudorapidity region 2.9 < eta < 3.9 and 2.3 < eta < 3.7, respectively. We have studied the scaling of particle production with the number of participating nucleons and the number of binary collisions. The photon and charged particle production in the measured pseudorapidity range has been shown to be consistent with energy independent limiting fragmentation behavior. The photons are observed to follow a centrality independent limiting fragmentation behavior while for the charged particles it is centrality dependent. We have carried out a comparative study of the pseudorapidity distributions of positively charged hadrons, negatively charged hadrons, photons, pions, net protons in nucleus--nucleus collisions and pseudorapidity distributions from p+p collisions. From these comparisons we conclude that baryons in the inclusive charged particle distribution are responsible for the observed centrality dependence of limiting fragmentation. The mesons are found to follow an energy independent behavior of limiting fragmentation while the behavior of baryons seems to be energy dependent.Comment: 17 pages and 20 figure