Resonance production in STAR

The recent results from resonance production in central Au+Au and p+p collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200$ GeV from the STAR experiment at RHIC are presented and discussed.     

Proton femtoscopy at STAR

The analysis of two-particle femtoscopy provides a powerful tool to study the properties of matter created in heavy ion collisions. Applied to identical and nonidentical hadron pairs, it makes the study of space-time evolution of the source in femtoscopic scale possible. Baryon femtoscopy allows extraction of the radii of produced sources which can be compared to those deduced from identical pion studies, providing additional information about source characteristics. In this paper we present the correlation functions obtained for protons and antiprotons for Au + Au collisions √s _NN = 62.4 and 200 GeV. On the other hand, as STAR experiment participates in Beam Energy Scan program, we present theoretical predictions of p − p, [`(p)] - [`(p)]\bar p - \bar p and p - [`(p)]p - \bar p femtoscopic measurements, based on UrQMD simulation for √s _NN = 5–39 GeV.     

B physics at STAR

Results from the search for Γ → e⁺ e^? and $B(\bar B) \to e^ \pm X$ in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt s = 200$ GeV are presented.     

Hard physics at STAR

Preliminary results for the production of high transverse momentum hadrons are reported from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Negative hadron spectra for 2 < pT < 6 (GeV/c) indicate a suppressed yield compared to expectations from $p\bar p$ collisions at similar energy. The elliptical flow deviates from agreement with predictions based on purely hydrodynamical considerations at pT > 1.5 GeV/c. An initial measurement of the flavor dependence of baryon production at pT ≤ 2.25 GeV/c is also presented and discussed.     

Open charm measurements at STAR

We report on the measurements of D⁰ meson production via direct reconstruction through the hadronic decay channel D⁰→Kπ in minimum bias d+Au and Au+Au collisions at with p_T up to ∼3 GeV/c. We derive the charm production total cross-section per nucleon–nucleon collision from a combination of three measurements: the D⁰ meson spectra, the non-photonic electron spectra from charm semi-leptonic decays obtained in p+p, d+Au, and Au+Au collisions, and the charm-decayed single muon (prompt muon) spectra at low p_T in Au+Au collisions. The cross-section is found to follow binary scaling, which is a signature of charm production exclusively at the initial impact. The implications of charm quark energy-loss and thermalization in the strongly interacting matter are discussed. PACS 25.75.Dw; 13.20.Fc; 13.25.Ft; 24.85.+p     

Results from STAR experiment at RHIC

We present some of the important experimental results from nucleus-nucleus collision studies carried out by the STAR experiment at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The results suggests that central Au+Au collisions at RHIC has produced a dense and rapidly thermalizing matter with initial energy densities above the critical values predicted by lattice QCD for establishment of a quark-gluon plasma (QGP).     

First results from STAR at RHIC

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) along with its complement of four experiments commenced operation for physics in the summer of 2000. Initial results on detector performance, preliminary physics results on hadron production, and the physics anticipated from the STAR experiment will be reported.     

Highlights from the STAR experiment at RHIC

Ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions produced at RHIC differ significantly from a superposition of proton-proton collisions. Evidence of collective expansion has been gathered. The yield of high transverse momentum particles has been found to be lower in head-on Au?Au collisions than is expected by scaling p-p collisions. Di-jet processes, which are frequent in p-p collisions, are almost absent in head-on Au?Au collisions. The current results from RHIC indicate that Au?Au collisions at $\sqrt {S_{NN} } = 130$ GeV and $\sqrt {S_{NN} } = 200$ GeV yield an expanding system that is opaque to high momentum partons.     

Open charm measurement with HFT at STAR

Thermalization is one of the key questions in understanding the matter created in Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Heavy-flavor quark collectivity could be used to indicate the degree of thermalization of the light-flavor quarks. Heavy quark energy loss could give important information on color charge density of the medium. Direct reconstruction of open charm hadrons is essential for these measurements.     

Transverse single spin asymmetry measurements at STAR

Transverse single spin asymmetries A _N are expected to be sensitive to par-ton polarization and orbital angular momentum contributions to the nucleon spin. Significantly large A _N has been observed in different collision systems such as semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) and polarized proton-proton (pp) collisions, indicating a dominant contribution of partonic interactions in the non-perturbative regime. Therefore it’s critical to measure A _N in various channels of polarized pp collisions in order to complement SIDIS data and to constrain theoretical models. We report STAR asymmetry measurements on mid-rapidity hadron-jet and di-hadron correlations at √s = 200 GeV and forward rapidity inclusive hadron production at √s = 500 GeV polarized pp collisions.     

Charm production in the STAR experiment at RHIC

The single electron spectrum over a sufficiently broad range provides an indirect measurement of charm and beauty production at RHIC energies. Heavy-quarks are produced in parton-parton scattering in the initial phase of the collision and thus provide important information about the initial configuration of the colliding nuclei. Even more important, the final state spectra reflect the interactions of these heavy partons with the medium and thus allow us to probe the properties of the hot and dense system created in heavy-ion collisions. We present preliminary measurements of electron and positron spectra in pp and d + Au as well as preliminary elliptic flow measurements in Au + Au collisions at GeV performed by the STAR experiment. We describe the measurement techniques used to discriminate electrons from hadrons and compare the results with theoretical calculations. PACS. 25.75.-q Arrival of the final proofs: 20 June 2005     

First results from STAR EbyE analysis at RHIC

I review the first STAR event-by-event analysis of <p _p > fluctuations, event multiplicity fluctuations and large-scale two-particle p _t correlations. Significant nonstatistical charge-independent and charge-dependent fluctuations and correlations are observed.     

STAR results from the first year at RHIC

An overview of the latest results from the STAR experiment at RHIC is presented. Preliminary measurements of π,K,p,Λ and Ξ, plus their respective anti-particles atp _t < 2 GeV/c, where the majority of particle production occurs, allow us to probe the soft processes whilst the harder perturbative regime can be accessed by studying particle spectra and yields at higher momenta.     

Measurements of heavy flavor and di-electron production at STAR

Heavy quarks are produced early in the relativistic heavy ion collisions, and provide an excellent probe into the hot and dense nuclear matter created at RHIC. In these proceedings, we will discuss recent STAR measurements of heavy flavor production, to investigate the heavy quark interaction with the medium. Electromagnetic probes, such as electrons, provide information on the various stages of the medium evolution without modification by final stage interactions. Di-electron production measurements by STAR will also be discussed.     

Recent STAR Spin Results and Spin Measurements at RHIC

The STAR experiment provides measurements of single and double-spin asymmetries in longitudinally and transversely polarized p + p collisions at \(\sqrt s \) = 200 and 510 GeV to deepen our understanding on the proton spin structure and dynamics of parton interactions over a wide range of collision energy, momentum and rapidity of the various produced probes. Polarized processes with W^± production allow us to study the spin-flavor structure of the proton. Recent results obtained by STAR on the double longitudinal asymmetry, A_LL, of pion and jet production at \(\sqrt s \) = 200 and 510 GeV, the single longitudinal, A_L, and transverse, A_N, asymmetry of W^± production at \(\sqrt s \) = 510 GeV are overviewed. STAR results on azimuthal single transverse asymmetry of pion in p^↑ + (p, Au) and jet + π^± in p^↑ + p collisions are discussed. The proposed Forward Calorimeter System (FCS) and Forward Tracking System (FTS) upgrades at STAR would significantly improve the capabilities of existing detectors for measurements of observables such as asymmetries of pion, jet, Drell-Yan pairs produced at forward rapidities.     

Systematic study of photon production at forward rapidity in STAR

We present the measurement of multiplicity and pseudorapidity distributions of photons production at forward rapidity (−2.3 ≤ η ≤ −3.8) for Cu + Cu collisions at $ \sqrt {S_{NN} } $ \sqrt {S_{NN} } = 62.4 and 200 GeV. Photons are measured using the Photon Multiplicity Detector (PMD) in STAR experiment at RHIC. The distributions of (η−η _beam), where η _beam is beam rapidity is presented. Pseudorapidity distributions of photons at forward rapidities, when ob-served in the frame of one of the colliding particles show the signature of energy independent scaling at forward rapidities known as Limiting Fragmentation. Measurement of inclusive photons reflect the distribution for π ⁰ as most of the photons come from π ⁰ decay. Gluon saturation at initial conditions of the collisions is one of the possible explanations for this scaling. Study of system-size and incident energy dependence of this phenomenon help us understand the mechanisms better. The system-size and energy dependence of the widths of scaling in pseudorapidity and comparison with model predictions are presented.     

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.