Identified charged kaon, pion, and proton spectra and ratios from sqrt(s_NN)
= 200 and 62.4 GeV Cu+Cu collisions are studied with a hydro-motivated
blast-wave and a statistical model framework in order to explore the
strangeness production at RHIC and characterize the bulk freeze-out properties
of the created system. The spectra are measured at mid-rapidity |y|<0.1 over
the transverse momentum range of 0.25 < p_T < 1.2 GeV/c with particle
identification derived from the ionization energy loss in the STAR Time
Projection Chamber.
The multi-dimensional systematic study of pi(+/-), K(+/-), p and pbar
production in Cu+Cu, Au+Au, d+Au and p+p collisions is used to discuss the
energy, system size and inferred energy density dependence of freeze-out
parameters and strangeness production. The new data from Cu+Cu collisions
bridge the gap between the smaller d+Au and larger Au+Au systems, allowing a
detailed study of the onset of strangeness equilibration at RHIC.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, proceedings to Strangeness in Quark Matter 200
