High pTp_T hadrons in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

High pT hadrons produced in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC probe nuclear matter at extreme conditions of high energy density. Experimental measurements in Au+Au collisions at \sqrtsNN=130, 200 GeV establish the existence of strong medium effects on hadron production well into the perturbative regime.Comment: 4 pages, Talk given at 32nd International Symposium on Multiparticle Dynamics (ISMD 2002), Alushta, Ukraine, 7-13 Sep 200

Overview of results from the STAR experiment at RHIC

The Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) provides Au+Au collisions at energies up to \sqrtsNN=200 GeV. STAR experiment was designed and constructed to investigate the behavior of strongly interacting matter at high energy density. An overview of some of the recent results from the STAR collaboration is given.Comment: Invited talk at International Conference "I. Ya. Pomeranchuk and physics at the turn of centuries" (January 24-28, 2003, Moscow

Elliptic flow contribution to two-particle correlations at different orientations to the reaction plane

Collective anisotropic particle flow, a general phenomenon present in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, can be separated from direct particle-particle correlations of different physics origin by virtue of its specific azimuthal pattern. We provide expressions for flow-induced two-particle azimuthal correlations, if one of the particles is detected under fixed directions with respect to the reaction plane. We consider an ideal case when the reaction plane angle is exactly known, as well as present the general expressions in case of finite event-plane resolution. We foresee applications for the study of generic two-particle correlations at large transverse momentum originating from jet fragmentation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, to be published as Rapid Communications in Phys.Rev.C Re-submit paper to with small improvements in text for better understanding, some minor changes in notation, and correcting one formula where a summation was forgotten. One new reference, one reference to conference report removed since full paper was already reference

Temperature independent diffuse scattering and elastic lattice deformations in relaxor PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3

The results of diffuse neutron scattering experiment on PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 single crystal above the Burns temperature are reported. It is shown that the high temperature elastic diffuse component is highly anisotropic in low-symmetry Brillouin zones and this anisotropy can be described using Huang scattering formalism assuming that the scattering originates from mesoscopic lattice deformations due to elastic defects. The qualitative agreement between this model and the experimental data is achieved with simple isotropic defects. It is demonstrated that weak satellite maxima near the Bragg reflections can be interpreted as the finite resolution effect.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Direct Photons at RHIC

The PHENIX experiment has measured direct photons in $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200$ GeV Au+Au collisions and p+p collisions. The fraction of photons due to direct production in Au+Au collisions is shown as a function of $p_T$ and centrality. This measurement is compared with expectation from pQCD calculations. Other possible sources of direct photons are discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, presented at Hot Quarks 2004, Taos, N

Particle Ratios, Equilibration, and the QCD Phase Boundary

We discuss the status of thermal model descriptions of particle ratios in central nucleus-nucleus collisions at ultra-relativistic energy. An alternative to the ``Cleymans-Redlich'' interpretation of the freeze-out trajectory is given in terms of the total baryon density. Emphasis is placed on the relation between the chemical equilibration parameters and the QCD phase boundary. Furthermore, we trace the essential difference between thermal model analyses of data from collisions between elementary particles and from heavy ion collisions as due to a transition from local strangeness conservation to percolation of strangeness over large volumes, as occurs naturally in a deconfined medium. We also discuss predictions of the thermal model for composite particle production.Comment: Contribution to SQM2001 Conference, submitted to J. Phys.

Large Angle Hadron Correlations from Medium-Induced Gluon Radiation

Final state medium-induced gluon radiation in ultradense nuclear matter is examined and shown to favor large angle emission when compared to vacuum bremsstrahlung due to the suppression of collinear gluons. Perturbative expression for the contribution of its hadronic fragments to the back-to-back particle correlations is derived. It is found that in the limit of large jet energy loss gluon radiation determines the yield and angular distribution of | Delta phi | > Pi/2 di-hadrons to transverse momenta pT2 of the associated particles. Clear transition from enhancement to suppression of the away-side hadron correlations is established at moderate pT2 and its experimentally accessible features are predicted versus the trigger particle momentum pT1.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Figures 1 and 2 and some of the text revised. Footnote added. As published in Phys. Lett.