Direct Photon Measurements at PHENIX

PHENIX has measured direct photons in p+p and Au+Au collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV. The p+p measurement is in good agreement with pQCD expectations. The nuclear modification factor in Au+Au is found to be consistent with unity for all centralities, and is compared to theoretical models. The data are found in agreement with models that take into account initial state modifications, as well as with those that account also for final state modifications.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of Hard Probes 201

Anomalous \phi Meson Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV Measured by the PHENIX Experiment at RHIC

The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has measured the \phi-meson production at mid-rapidity in p+p, d+Au, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV via the K^+K^- decay mode. The transverse momentum spectra of the \phi-meson and the nuclear modification factor as a function of centrality are reviewed here.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; To appear in the conference proceedings for Quark Matter 2009, March 30 - April 4, Knoxville, Tennesse

Diagnosing Energy Loss: PHENIX Results on High-pT Hadron Spectra

Measurements of inclusive spectra of hadrons at large transverse momentum over a broad range of energy in different collision systems have been performed with the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. The data allow to study the energy and system size dependence of the suppression observed in RAA of high-pT hadrons at sqrt(s_NN)= 200 GeV. Due to the large energy range from sqrt(s_NN)= 22 GeV to 200 GeV, the results can be compared to results from CERN SPS at a similar energy. The large Au+Au dataset from the 2004 run of RHIC also allows to constrain theoretical models that describe the hot and dense matter produced in such collisions. Investigation of particle ratios such as eta/pi0 helps understanding the mechanisms of energy loss.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures. To appear in the proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (Quark Matter 2006), Shanghai, China, November 14-20, 200

Measurements of Hard-Scattering by PHENIX at RHIC

Hard-scattering in p-p collisions was discovered in 1972 at the CERN-ISR, the first hadron collider. Techniques were developed and several hard-processes were discovered which form the basis for many of the measurements made in p-p and Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Recent measurements of hard-scattering and related reactions by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC are presented in this context.Comment: 6 pages, 12 figures, Proceedings of Hadron Collider Physics Symposium 2007, La Biodola, Isola d'Elba (Italy), May 20-26, 200

Measurements of double-helicity asymmetries in inclusive J/ψJ/\psi production in longitudinally polarized p+pp+p collisions at s=510\sqrt{s}=510 GeV

We report the double helicity asymmetry, $A_{LL}^{J/\psi}$, in inclusive $J/\psi$ production at forward rapidity as a function of transverse momentum $p_T$ and rapidity $|y|$. The data analyzed were taken during $\sqrt{s}=510$ GeV longitudinally polarized $p$$+$$p$ collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in the 2013 run using the PHENIX detector. At this collision energy, $J/\psi$ particles are predominantly produced through gluon-gluon scatterings, thus $A_{LL}^{J/\psi}$ is sensitive to the gluon polarization inside the proton. We measured $A_{LL}^{J/\psi}$ by detecting the decay daughter muon pairs $\mu^+ \mu^-$ within the PHENIX muon spectrometers in the rapidity range $1.2<|y|<2.2$. In this kinematic range, we measured the $A_{LL}^{J/\psi}$ to be $0.012 \pm 0.010$~(stat)~$\pm$~$0.003$(syst). The $A_{LL}^{J/\psi}$ can be expressed to be proportional to the product of the gluon polarization distributions at two distinct ranges of Bjorken $x$: one at moderate range $x \approx 0.05$ where recent RHIC data of jet and $\pi^0$ double helicity spin asymmetries have shown evidence for significant gluon polarization, and the other one covering the poorly known small-$x$ region $x \approx 2\times 10^{-3}$. Thus our new results could be used to further constrain the gluon polarization for $x< 0.05$.Comment: 335 authors, 10 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, 2013 data. Version accepted for publication by Phys. Rev. D. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

Inclusive cross section and single-transverse-spin asymmetry for very forward neutron production in polarized p+p collisions at sqrt(s)=200 GeV

The energy dependence of the single-transverse-spin asymmetry, A_N, and the cross section for neutron production at very forward angles were measured in the PHENIX experiment at RHIC for polarized p+p collisions at sqrt(s)=200 GeV. The neutrons were observed in forward detectors covering an angular range of up to 2.2 mrad. We report results for neutrons with momentum fraction of x_F=0.45 to 1.0. The energy dependence of the measured cross sections were consistent with x_F scaling, compared to measurements by an ISR experiment which measured neutron production in unpolarized p+p collisions at sqrt(s)=30.6--62.7 GeV. The cross sections for large x_F neutron production for p+p collisions, as well as those in e+p collisions measured at HERA, are described by a pion exchange mechanism. The observed forward neutron asymmetries were large, reaching A_N=-0.08+/-0.02 for x_F=0.8; the measured backward asymmetries, for negative x_F, were consistent with zero. The observed asymmetry for forward neutron production is discussed within the pion exchange framework, with interference between the spin-flip amplitude due to the pion exchange and nonflip amplitudes from all Reggeon exchanges. Within the pion exchange description, the measured neutron asymmetry is sensitive to the contribution of other Reggeon exchanges even for small amplitudes.Comment: 383 authors, 16 pages, 18 figures, 6 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. D. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm