First fragmentation function measurements from full jet reconstruction in heavy-ion collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=200$ GeV by STAR

Measurements of inclusive hadron suppression and di-hadron azimuthal correlations in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions at RHIC have provided important insights into jet quenching in hot QCD matter, but are limited in their sensitivity due to well-known biases. Full jet reconstruction in heavy-ion collisions would conceptually provide a direct measurement of the energy of the scattered parton before energy loss, alleviating such biases and allowing a measurement of the energy loss probability distribution in a model-independent way from hard probes. In these proceedings we utilize recent progress in the reconstruction of jets in the heavy ion environment and present the first measurement of the fragmentation function from fully reconstructed jets in heavy ion collisions. The fragmentation function measured in central Au + Au collisions at  GeV will be presented and discussed with respect to p + p reference measurements.     

Identified particle production in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions at RHIC

Measurements of identified particle production with the PHENIX experiment at RHIC have reached a mature state, where a multitude of nuclear systems at different colliding energies have been studied. The discovery configurations of $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 130$ and 200 GeV Au+Au collisions have now been supplemented by additional Au+Au and Cu+Cu configurations at various energies, along with baseline p+p and d+Au runs at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 130$ GeV. In this work we present a systematic study of the Cronin effect in d+Au collisions and recent results from p+p collisions. We then proceed to make a critical comparison of pion, kaon and proton production in heavy ion and baseline systems, and discuss the observed nuclear effects on hadron production.     

A short review on jet identification

Jets can be used to probe the physical properties of the high energy density matter created in collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Measurements of strong suppression of inclusive hadron distributions and di-hadron correlations at high p _T have already provided evidence for partonic energy loss. However, these measurements suffer from well-known geometric biases due to the competition of energy loss and fragmentation. These biases can be avoided if the jets are reconstructed independently of their fragmentation details—quenched or unquenched. In this paper, we discuss modern jet reconstruction algorithms (cone and sequential recombination) and their corresponding background subtraction techniques required by the high multiplicities of heavy ion collisions. We review recent results from the STAR experiment at RHIC on direct jet reconstruction in central Au+Au collisions at  GeV.     

First direct measurement of jets in $\sqrt{s_{\mathit {NN}}}=200~\mbox{GeV}$ heavy ion collisions by STAR

We present the first measurement of reconstructed jets in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. Utilizing the large coverage of the STAR Time Projection Chamber and Electromagnetic Calorimeter, we apply several modern jet reconstruction algorithms and background subtraction techniques and explore their systematic uncertainties in heavy ion events. The differential energy spectrum for inclusive jet production in central Au+Au collisions at is presented. In order to assess the jet reconstruction biases, this spectrum is compared with the jet cross section measured in  GeV p+p collisions scaled by the number of binary N–N collisions to account for nuclear geometric effects.     

Heavy quarks at RHIC from parton transport theory

There are several indications that an opaque partonic medium is created in energetic Au+Au collisions at the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC). At the extreme densities of ∼10–100 times normal nuclear density reached, even heavy-flavor hadrons are affected significantly. Heavy-quark observables are presented from the parton transport model MPC, focusing on the nuclear suppression pattern, azimuthal anisotropy (“elliptic flow”), and azimuthal correlations. Comparison with Au+Au data at top RHIC energy indicates significant heavy-quark rescattering, corresponding roughly five times higher opacities than estimates based on leading-order perturbative QCD. We propose measurements of charm–anticharm, e.g., D-meson azimuthal correlations as a sensitive, independent probe to corroborate these findings. PACS 25.75.-q; 25.75.Ld; 25.75.Gz     

Open charm production at RHIC: Recent results from STAR

We report recent measurements on the open charm production in d+Au and p+p collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200$ GeV from the STAR detector at RHIC. The two independent measurements — direct open charm hadron (D⁰, D^* etc.) reconstruction and non-photonic single electron spectrum — provide consistent results. The mid-rapidity charm differential cross section per nucleon-nucleon collision from d+Au collisions at RHIC is $d\sigma _{c\bar c}^{NN} /dy = 0.30 \pm 0.04(stat.) \pm 0.09(syst.)$ mb, which is higher than predictions from most of the NLO pQCD calculations. Implications for charmonium production in Au+Au collisions will also be discussed.     

High-p T results from PHOBOS

We present results from the PHOBOS experiment on charged hadron production over a large range in , from Data from d + Au collisions at GeV and Au + Au collisions at and 200 GeV are shown. The data indicate that in Au + Au collisions a strongly interacting state of matter is formed, that appears qualitatively different from the system formed in pp or d + Au collisions. The systematics of particle production in d + Au and Au + Au collisions exhibit remarkably simple scaling rules, including an apparent factorization of the energy and centrality dependence over a wide range of collision energies. Arrival of the final proofs: 29 July 2005 PACS: 25.75.-q, 25.75.Dw, 25.75.Gz     

High transverse momentum suppression and surface effects in <Emphasis Type="Bold">Cu+Cu</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Bold">Au+Au</Emphasis> collisions within the PQM model

We study parton suppression effects in heavy-ion collisions within the parton quenching model (PQM). After a brief summary of the main features of the model, we present comparisons of calculations for the nuclear modification and the away-side suppression factor to the data in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at  =200 GeV. We discuss properties of light hadron probes and their sensitivity to the medium density within the PQM Monte Carlo framework.     

Charged hadron suppression in Au+Au collisions at high p T from STAR

We report high statistics measurements of inclusive charged hadron production in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200$ GeV and 130 GeV. A large, approximately constant hadron suppression is observed in central Au+Au collisions for 5 ‖p _T ‖ 12 GeV/c. The collision energy dependence of the yields and the centrality and p _T 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. The p _T -dependent suppression expected from models incorporating jet attenuation in cold nuclear matter or absorption of fragmentation hadrons is not observed.     

Suppression of high-pT non-photonic electrons in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ =200 GeV

The strong suppression of high p_T hadrons observed at RHIC has led to the interpretation that energetic partons lose their energy via induced gluon radiation in the hot and dense matter before fragmenting into hadrons. The study of heavy quark production can extend our understanding of this scenario. Due to the dead cone effect, the suppression of heavy quark mesons at high p_T is expected to be smaller than that observed for charged hadrons at the same energy. The measurement of non-photonic single electrons up to high p_T provides information on charm and beauty production. The semi-leptonic decays of D and B mesons are the dominant contribution to the non-photonic electron spectra. The preliminary spectra from p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions at  =200 GeV have been extracted for mid-rapidity non-photonic electrons in the range 1.5<p_T (GeV/c)<10. The corresponding nuclear modification factors (R_AA) are presented and show a large suppression in central Au+Au collisions, indicating an unexpectedly large energy loss for heavy quarks in the hot and dense matter created at RHIC. This observed suppression is compared to recent theoretical models. PACS  13.85.Qk; 13.20.Fc; 13.20.He; 25.75.Dw     

In-Medium Kaon Potential and Nuclear Equation of State Measured in Nucleus–Nucleus Collisions

The kaon production in heavy ion collisions at intermediate energies provides a sensitive probe to study the in-medium properties and nuclear equation of state of hadrons. Properties of kaons in dense hadronic matter are important for a better understanding of both, the possible restoration of chiral symmetry in dense hadronic matter and the properties of nuclear matter at high densities. We investigated the in-medium kaon potential and nuclear equation of state by transverse mass spectra of K ⁺ mesons in heavy ion collisions. We use quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) models based on covariant kaon dynamics to simulate ${_{28}^{58}Ni +_{28}^{58}Ni}$ collisions at 1.93 A GeV, to analyze the transverse mass spectra of K ⁺. Calculated results with a repulsive in-medium K ⁺N potential can reasonably describe the features of KaoS data. They also shown that the transverse mass spectrum of K ⁺ mesons is a sensitive observable to probe the kaon in-medium potential in dense nuclear matter.     

Recent high-p_{\rm T} results from STAR

The STAR Collaboration has a broad range of recent results on intermediate and high- phenomena in Au + Au collisions at = 200 and 62 GeV and in d + Au at = 200 GeV. These include new measurements of spectra, azimuthal anisotropies and di-hadron correlations. The comparison of the 62 and 200 GeV Au + Au results indicates that jet quenching, elliptic flow and di-hadron correlation measurements are very similar at the two energies. Meson-baryon differences that have been seen at intermediate in 200 GeV Au + Au collisions are also present in 62 GeV Au + Au collisions and in 200 GeV d + Au collisions. Measurements of backward-forward inclusive hadron yield asymmetries and forward-midrapidity di-hadron correlations in d + Au collisions are consistent with the saturation picture. A brief review of these results is presented. Arrival of the final proofs: 30 June 2005 PACS: 25.75.Dw, 25.75.Ld, 25.75.Gz     

Heavy flavor production in PHENIX

The PHENIX experiment at RHIC measured single electron spectra in p + p, d + Au and Au + Au collisions at GeV, and in Au + Au collisions at GeV. In these spectra, electrons from semi-leptonic decays of charmed particles are the dominant contribution after subtraction of all 'photonic' sources (photon conversions, Dalitz decays, decays of light vector mesons). The p + p open charm production cross-section is found to be in good agreement with pQCD NLO calculations. The shape of the distributions obtained for p + p interactions is compared with those observed for nucleus-nucleus collisions. From p + p to d + Au and Au + Au interactions, open charm production is found to scale with the number of binary collisions . Au + Au data at GeV is compatible with the ISR p + p results scaled by . The elliptic flow parameter v₂ of heavy flavor electrons has also been measured, and is found to be non-zero in the intermediate p_T range. Arrival of the final proofs: 29 June 2005 PACS: . ^* Deceased Spokesperson     

Medium effects on high p_{\rm T} particle production measured with the PHENIX experiment

Transverse momentum ( ) spectra measured by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC in Au + Au, d + Au and pp collisions at and in Au + Au collisions at are presented. A suppression of the yield of high hadrons in central Au + Au collisions by a factor 4-5 at is found relative to the pp reference scaled by the nuclear overlap function . In contrast, direct photons are not suppressed in central Au + Au collisions and no suppression of high particles can be seen in d + Au collisions. This leads to the conclusion that the dense medium formed in central Au + Au collisions is responsible for the suppression. Arrival of the final proofs: 30 June 2005 PACS: 25.75.Dw     

The performance of the jet identification and reconstruction in heavy ions collisions with CMS detector

A jet reconstruction algorithm is developed for events with a high particle density in the calorimetric system. The performance of the reconstruction of hard QCD jets with initial parton energies 50–300 GeV is studied in central Pb–Pb collisions with a modified cone jet finder which includes an algorithm for event-by-event background subtraction. The heavy ion background is simulated using the HIJING Monte Carlo generator with . Results on the achieved jet reconstruction efficiency, purity, energy and spatial resolution are presented.     

Multiplicity studies and effective energy in ALICE at the LHC

In this work we explore the possibility to perform “effective energy” studies in very high energy collisions at the CERN large hadron collider (LHC). In particular, we focus on the possibility to measure in pp collisions the average charged multiplicity as a function of the effective energy with the ALICE experiment, using its capability to measure the energy of the leading baryons with the zero degree calorimeters. Analyses of this kind have been done at lower centre-of-mass energies and have shown that, once the appropriate kinematic variables are chosen, particle production is characterized by universal properties: no matter the nature of the interacting particles, the final states have identical features. Assuming that this universality picture can be extended to ion–ion collisions, as suggested by recent results from RHIC experiments, a novel approach based on the scaling hypothesis for limiting fragmentation has been used to derive the expected charged event multiplicity in AA interactions at LHC. This leads to scenarios where the multiplicity is significantly lower compared to most of the predictions from the models currently used to describe high energy AA collisions. A mean charged multiplicity of about 1000–2000 per rapidity unit (at η∼0) is expected for the most central Pb–Pb collisions at . In memory of A. Smirnitskiy     

Hadron production at forward and backward rapidities in \sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200 GeV d+Au collisions

Understanding normal nuclear medium effects present in heavy ion collisions is essential for understanding the following dynamics of the high density matter produced in the collision. Asymmetric collisions, such as deuteron + gold, provide a key tool for studying these effects since particles produced in the forward and backward directions may be subject to different phenomena. Particle production has been studied in d+Au collisions for various kinematic regions at the RHIC facility. PHENIX has measured charged hadron production as a function of pT for different centrality classes using the PHENIX muon spectrometers for d+Au collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200$ GeV. The PHENIX muon spectrometers have coverage in both forward and backward directions in the rapidity range 1.2 |η| < 2.4. The R _cp measurement, the ratio of central to peripheral production, is presented and discussed. Comparisons are also made with some relevant theoretical calculations.     

Open heavy flavor production from single muons in PHENIX at RHIC

The PHENIX experiment has studied open heavy flavor production in  =200 GeV p+p and d+Au collisions using the semi-leptonic decay into single muons. The results from these measurements and the details of the analysis technique are presented. The results from p+p collisions obtained at mid-rapidity are compared to perturbative QCD calculations. The production of light mesons is the major background source for the open flavor measurement using muons. The nuclear modification factor for light mesons were measured in Cu+Cu collisions at  =200 GeV is presented.     

Cross sections for leptophobic topcolor Z′ decaying to top–antitop

We present numerical calculations of the production cross section of a heavy Z?? resonance in hadron?Chadron collisions with subsequent decay into top?Cantitop pairs. In particular, we consider the leptophobic topcolor Z?? discussed under Model IV of hep-ph/9911288, which has predicted cross sections large enough to be experimentally accessible at the Fermilab Tevatron and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. This article presents an updated calculation valid for the Tevatron and all proposed LHC collision energies. Cross sections are presented for various Z?? widths, in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=2\mbox{~TeV}$ , and in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7, 8, 10 \mbox{ and } 14\mbox{~TeV}$ .     

Probing longitudinal dynamics at RHIC

Particle production of charged hadrons in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200$ GeV bas been studied as a function of rapidity by the BRAHMS Collaboration at RHIC. Selected recent results are presented with emphasis on longitudinal dynamics of particle production. The rapidity dependence of particle production imposes more stringent constraints on theoretical models describing dynamics of nuclear matter created by high-energy heavy ion collisions.