Novel rapidity dependence of directed flow in high-energy heavy-Ion collisions

For high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions, we show that a combination of space-momentum correlations characteristic of radial expansion, together with the correlation between the position of a nucleon in the nucleus and its stopping, results in a very specific rapidity dependence of directed flow: a reversal of sign in the midrapidity region. We support our argument by RQMD model calculations for Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s] = 200A GeV.     

Forward a production and nuclear stopping power in d+Au collisions at RHIC

Using the forward time projection chambers of STAR we measure the centrality dependent A and ā yields in d+Au collisions at √s _NN =200 GeV at forward and backward rapidities. The contributions of different processes to particle production and baryon transport are probed exploiting the inherent asymmetry of the d+Au system. While the d side appears to be dominated by multiple independent nucleon-nucleon collisions, nuclear effects contribute significantly on the Au side. Using the constraint of baryon number conservation, the rapidity loss of baryons in the incoming deuteron can be estimated as a function of centrality. This is compared to a model and to similar measurements in Au+Au, which gives insights into the nuclear stopping power at relativistic energies.     

Directed flow of lambda hyperons in (2-6 )A GeV Au+Au collisions

Directed flow measurements for Lambda hyperons are presented and compared to those for protons produced in the same Au+Au collisions (2A, 4A, and 6A GeV; b<5-6 fm). The measurements indicate that Lambda hyperons flow consistently in the same direction but with smaller magnitudes. A strong positive flow [for Lambdas] has been predicted in calculations which include the influence of the Lambda-nucleon potential. The experimental flow ratio Lambda/p is in qualitative agreement with expectations (approximately 2/3) from the quark counting rule at 2A GeV but is found to decrease with increasing beam energy.     

Forward and transverse energy distributions in oxygen-induced reactions at 60 A GeV and 200 A GeV

Results are presented from reactions of 60 A GeV and 200 A GeV ¹⁶O projectiles with C, Cu, Ag, and Au nuclei. Energy spectra measured at zero degrees and transverse energy distributions in the pseudorapidity range from 2.4 to 5.5 are shown. The average transverse energy per participant is found to be nearly independent of target mass. Estimates of nuclear stopping and of attained energy densities are made.     

Observation of different azimuthal emission patterns of K+ and of K- mesons in heavy-ion collisions at 1-2 A GeV

Azimuthal distributions of pi+, K+, and K- mesons have been measured in Au+Au reactions at 1.5A GeV and Ni+Ni reactions at 1.93 A GeV. In semicentral collisions at midrapidity, pi+ and K+ mesons are emitted preferentially perpendicular to the reaction plane in both collision systems. In contrast for K- mesons in Ni+Ni reactions, an in-plane elliptic flow was observed for the first time at these incident energies.     

Simulation of energy scan of pion interferometry in central Au+Au collisions at relativistic energies

We present a systematic analysis of two-pion interferometry for the central Au+Au collisions at √s_NN=3, 5, 7, 11, 17, 27, 39, 62, 130 and 200 GeV/c with the help of a multiphase transport (AMPT) model. Emission source-size radius parameters R_long, R_out, R_side and the chaotic parameter λ are extracted and compared with the experimental data. Transverse momentum and azimuthal angle dependencies of the HBT radii are also discussed for central Au+Au collisions at 200 GeV/c. The results show that the HBT radii in central collisions do not change much above 7 GeV/c. For central collisions at 200 GeV/c, the radii decrease with the increasing of transverse momentum p_T but are not sensitive to the azimuthal angle. These results provide a theoretical reference for the energy scan program of the RHIC-STAR experiment.     

Semihard scattering unraveled from collective dynamics by two-pion azimuthal correlations in 158A GeV/c Pb+Au collisions

Elliptic flow and two-particle azimuthal correlations of charged hadrons and high-p(T) pions (p(T)>1 GeV/c) have been measured close to midrapidity in 158A GeV/c Pb+Au collisions by the CERES experiment. Elliptic flow (v(2)) rises linearly with p(T) to a value of about 10% at 2 GeV/c. Beyond p(T) approximately 1.5 GeV/c, the slope decreases considerably, possibly indicating a saturation of v(2) at high p(T). Two-pion azimuthal anisotropies for p(T)>1.2 GeV/c exceed the elliptic flow values by about 60% in midcentral collisions. These nonflow contributions are attributed to nearside and back-to-back jetlike correlations, the latter exhibiting centrality dependent broadening.     

Effects of mean-field and softening of equation of state on elliptic flow in Au+Au collisions at (~SNN)~(1/2)=5 GeV from the JAM model

We perform a systematic study of elliptic flow(v_2) in Au+Au collisions at(~SNN)~(1/2) = 5 GeV by using a microscopic transport model, JAM. The centrality, pseudorapidity, transverse momentum and beam energy dependence of v_2 for charged as well as identified hadrons are studied. We investigate the effects of both the hadronic mean-field and the softening of equation of state(EoS) on elliptic flow. The softening of the EoS is realized by imposing attractive orbits in two body scattering, which can reduce the pressure of the system. We found that the softening of the EoS leads to the enhancement of v_2, while the hadronic mean-field suppresses v_2 relative to the cascade mode. It indicates that elliptic flow at high baryon density regions is highly sensitive to the EoS and the enhancement of v_2 may probe the signature of a first-order phase transition in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies of a strong baryon stopping region.     

Sideward flow in Au+Au collisions between 2A and 8A GeV

Using the large acceptance Time Projection Chamber of experiment E895 at Brookhaven, measurements of collective sideward flow in Au+Au collisions at beam energies of 2A, 4A, 6A, and 8A GeV are presented in the form of in-plane transverse momentum and the first Fourier coefficient of azimuthal anisotropy v(1). These measurements indicate a smooth variation of sideward flow as a function of beam energy. The data are compared with four nuclear transport models which have an orientation towards this energy range. All four exhibit some qualitative trends similar to those found in the data, although none show a consistent pattern of agreement within experimental uncertainties.     

Longitudinal broadening of near-side jets due to parton cascade

Longitudinal broadening along the Δη direction on the near side in the two-dimensional (Δφ×Δη) di-hadron correlation distribution has been studied for central Au+Au collisions at  GeV, within a dynamical multi-phase transport model. It was found that longitudinal broadening is generated by a longitudinal flow induced by a strong parton cascade in central Au+Au collisions, to be compared with p+p collisions at  GeV. The longitudinal broadening may shed light on the strongly interacting partonic matter at RHIC.     

Stopping in ?{sNN } \sqrt {s_{NN} } = 62.4 GeV Au+Au collisions

Stopping in heavy ion collisions has been measured at several energies from AGS to RHIC (spanning $ \sqrt {s_{NN} } $ \sqrt {s_{NN} } = 5 GeV to $ \sqrt {s_{NN} } $ \sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200 GeV).The systematics of stopping hint the onset of a collision regime that might include LHC energies. Stopping in $ \sqrt {s_{NN} } $ \sqrt {s_{NN} } = 62.4 GeV Au+Au collisions contribute to the understanding of different collision systems.     

Longitudinal flow of protons from (2-8)A GeV central Au+Au collisions

Rapidity distributions of protons from central 197Au+197Au collisions measured by the E895 Collaboration in the energy range from (2-8)A GeV at the Brookhaven AGS are presented. Longitudinal flow parameters derived using a thermal model including collective longitudinal expansion are extracted from these distributions. The results show an approximately linear increase in the longitudinal flow velocity, (L), as a function of the logarithm of beam energy.     

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations in the hard scattering regime at RHIC

Azimuthal anisotropy (v(2)) and two-particle angular correlations of high p(T) charged hadrons have been measured in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV for transverse momenta up to 6 GeV/c, where hard processes are expected to contribute significantly. The two-particle angular correlations exhibit elliptic flow and a structure suggestive of fragmentation of high p(T) partons. The monotonic rise of v(2)(p(T)) for p(T)<2 GeV/c is consistent with collective hydrodynamical flow calculations. At p(T)>3 GeV/c, a saturation of v(2) is observed which persists up to p(T)=6 GeV/c.     

Baryon flow at SIS energies and beyond

We calculate the baryon flow P_x/A(y) in the energy range from 0.25 to 4.0A GeV in a relativistic transport model for Ni + Ni and Au + Au collisions employing various models for the baryon self-energies. We find that to describe the flow data of the FOPI Collaboration above 1A GeV the strength of the vector potential has to be reduced at high relative momentum or at high density. The latter phenomenon leads to a softening of the nuclear equation of state at high density.     

High transverse momentum correlations in STAR

Azimuthal correlations of charged hadrons with transverse momenta above 2 GeV/c are measured relative to ≥ GeV/c trigger particle in p+p and Au+Au at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200$ GeV in STAR. The correlations exhibit small relative azimuthal angle correlations characteristic of jets. The p+p and peripheral Au+Au data exhibit a peak on the opposite side of the jet indicating the presence of hard scattering in the form of di-jets. The away-side jet disappears for the most central Au+Au collisions, suggesting jet quenching in a dense medium.     

在RHIC-PHENIX中观测到的AuAu和CuCu碰撞中已鉴别强子产物的标度率特性

Particle type dependences of hadron yield and emission patterns, especially its difference between mesons and baryons, at intermediate p_{T(2—5GeV/c) is one of the findings in heavy ion collisions at RHIC. A systematic study of identified hadron production was performed in Au+Au/Cu+Cu collisions at sNN=62.4/200GeV, to investigate the possible origins of this difference. In this paper, we show particle ratios, elliptic flow strengths, and their scaling properties.}     

Antiflow of K(0)(s) mesons in 6A GeV Au + Au collisions

We have measured the sideward flow of neutral strange ( K(0)(s)) mesons in 6A GeV Au+Au collisions. A prominent antiflow signal is observed for an impact parameter range ( b less, similar7 fm) which spans central and midcentral events. Since the K(0)(s) scattering cross section is relatively small in nuclear matter, this observation suggests that the in-medium kaon vector potential plays an important role in high density nuclear matter.     

Baryon rapidity loss in relativistic Au + Au collisions

An excitation function of proton rapidity distributions for different centralities is reported from AGS Experiment E917 for Au+Au collisions at 6, 8, and 10.8 GeV/nucleon. The rapidity distributions from peripheral collisions have a valley at midrapidity which smoothly change to distributions that display a broad peak at midrapidity for central collisions. The mean rapidity loss increases with increasing beam energy, whereas the fraction of protons consistent with isotropic emission from a stationary source at midrapidity decreases with increasing beam energy. The data suggest that the stopping is substantially less than complete at these energies.     

Oxygen-induced reactions at 60A GeV and 200A GeV studied by calorimetry

Results based on calorimetric measurements are presented from reactions of 60A GeV and 200A GeV¹⁶O projectiles with C, Cu, Ag, and Au nuclei. Minimum-bias cross sections are discussed. Energy spectra measured at zero degrees and transverse-energy distributions for the pseudorapidity range 2.4≦η≤5.5 are shown. An analysis of the average transverse energy in terms of the number of participating nucleons and the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions is presented. Estimates of nuclear stopping and of attained energy densities are made.     

Flow measurements via two-particle azimuthal correlations in Au + Au collisions at sqrt [s(NN)]=130 GeV

Two-particle azimuthal correlation functions are presented for charged hadrons produced in Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (sqrt [s(NN)]=130 GeV). The measurements permit determination of elliptic flow without event-by-event estimation of the reaction plane. The extracted elliptic flow values (v2) show significant sensitivity to both the collision centrality and the transverse momenta of emitted hadrons, suggesting rapid thermalization and relatively strong velocity fields. When scaled by the eccentricity of the collision zone epsilon, the scaled elliptic flow shows little or no dependence on centrality for charged hadrons with relatively low p(T). A breakdown of this epsilon scaling is observed for charged hadrons with pT >1.0 GeV/c.