Future of jets, heavy flavor and EM probes at RHIC and RHIC II

Exciting results from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have been presented at this Workshop. However, fundamental questions remain to be addressed in the future regarding whether the system is deconfined, chiral symmetry is restored, a color glass condensate exists in the initial state, and how the system evolves through eventual hadronization. Jets, heavy flavors and electromagnetic probes are sensitive to the initial high density stage of RHIC collisions, and should provide new insight. Significant additional capabilities will be added with a luminosity upgrade of RHIC (to RHIC II), upgrades of present detectors and a possible, new comprehensive detector at RHIC II.     

Some results obtained at the relativistic heavy ion collider

Some results obtained in heavy ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory are discussed. Along with observables studied at energies lower than those at RHIC (particle production ratios, soft spectra, flows, and so on), observables specific for RHIC energies related to the Jet Quenching effect and Color Glass Condensate (CGC) manifestation are discussed. Preliminary results and specifics of particular experiments at RHIC are not considered.     

Systematics of elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions

We analyze elliptic flow from SIS to RHIC energies systematically in a realistic dynamical cascade model. We compare our results with the recent data from STAR and PHOBOS collaborations on elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity in Au+ Au collisions at RHIC. In the analysis of elliptic flow at RHIC energy, we find a good fitting with data at 1.5 times a scaling factor to our model, which characterizes that the model is required to have extra pressure generated from the subsequent parton scattering after the initial minijet production. In energy dependence of elliptic flow, we notice re-hardening nature at RHIC energies. Both these two observations would probably imply the possible formation of quark-gluon plasma.     

Using dileptons to probe the color glass condensate

The rapidity and transverse momentum dependence of the nuclear modification ratio for dilepton production at RHIC and LHC is presented, calculated in the color glass condensate (CGC) framework. The transverse momentum ratio is compared for two distinct dilepton mass values and a suppression of the Cronin peak is verified even for large mass. The nuclear modification ratio suppression in the dilepton rapidity spectra, as obtained experimentally for hadrons at RHIC, is verified for LHC energies at large transverse momentum, although not present at RHIC energies. The ratio between LHC and RHIC nuclear modification ratios is evaluated in the CGC, showing the large saturation effects at LHC compared with the RHIC results. These results consolidate the dilepton as a most suitable observable to investigate the QCD high density approaches.     

Elliptic flow at SPS and RHIC: from kinetic transport to hydrodynamics

Anisotropic transverse flow is studied in Pb+Pb and Au+Au collisions at SPS and RHIC energies. The centrality and transverse momentum dependence at midrapidity of the elliptic flow coefficient v₂ is calculated in the hydrodynamic and low density limits. Hydrodynamics is found to agree well with the RHIC data for semicentral collisions up to transverse momenta of 1–1.5 GeV/c, but it considerably overestimates the measured elliptic flow at SPS energies. The low density limit LDL is inconsistent with the measured magnitude of v₂ at RHIC energies and with the shape of its p_t-dependence at both RHIC and SPS energies. The success of the hydrodynamic model points to very rapid thermalization in Au+Au collisions at RHIC and provides a serious challenge for kinetic approaches based on classical scattering of on-shell particles.     

Multiplicity distributions of charged hadrons at AGS, SPS and RHIC

It is found that Collective Flow Model (CFM) which can successfully analyze charged particle distributions at AGS and lower SPS (less than 20 GeV/n), fails to analyze that of RHIC. The tail of distribution of charged particle at RHIC has a jump away from the collective model calculation as the energy increase. Thermalization Component Model (TCM) is presented basing on collective flow to study the multiplicity distributions at RHIC in this paper. It is realized that the limitation of phase space of collective flow can denote that of thermalization region. By comparing the contributions of particle productions from thermalization region at different energies and different centrality, we can deep our study on the feature of collective movement at RHIC.     

RHIC polarized proton status and plan

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) as the first high energy polarized proton collider has been providing collisions at a beam energy of 100 GeV since 2001. Equipped with two full Siberian snakes in each ring, polarization is preserved during the acceleration from injection to 100 GeV with careful control of the betatron tunes and the vertical orbit distortions. In the latest RHIC polarized proton run in 2006, a peak luminosity of 28 × 10³⁰cm⁻² s⁻¹ with 60% average polarization at store was achieved. During the run, RHIC also demonstrated its capability in providing a combination of polarized proton collisions with longitudinal polarization and radial polarization were provided to the STAR experiment and PHENIX experiment with the local spin rotators installed on either side of the STAR detector and PHENIX detector. Polarized protons were also first accelerated to 250 GeV at the end of RHIC 2006 run with a 46% polarization measured at this new store energy in one of the RHIC accelerators. Currently, the luminosity in RHIC is limited by the beam-beam effect. The plan is to triple the luminosity. Plans to achieve polarized proton collision at 250 GeV are also reported.     

Spin physics at RHIC: Present and future

In 2001–2002 the relativistic heavy-ion collider (RHIC) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) was first commissioned for polarized proton collisions. Polarized protons were injected into the RHIC, accelerated to 100 GeV, stored and the two beams were made to collide in four interaction regions. I will review the progress made by the RHIC spin program, followed by the physics goals for the next few years. After that I will present a brief overview of a proposal to build a high intensity polarized electron/positron beam facility at BNL which would enable deep inelastic scattering (DIS) experiments to be pursued at BNL by its collisions with the RHIC hadron beams.     

Heavy ions: Report from Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

We review selected highlights?from the experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) exploring the QCD phase diagram. A wealth of new results appeared recently from RHIC due to major recent upgrades, like for example the ?? suppression in central nucleus?Cnucleus collisions which has been discovered recently in both RHIC and LHC. Furthermore, we discuss RHIC results from the beam energy scan (BES) program aiming to search for a possible critical point and to map out the QCD phase diagram.     

RHIC能区的纵向流分布特征和核阻止特性的研究

首先利用相对论纵向非均匀集体流模型讨论RHIC能区的净质子分布特征,并分别与AGS,SPS的实验结果比较,发现,RHIC能区所产生的粒子系统具有很强的非均匀分布特征,表现为很强的核透明性,并分析了非均匀集体流模型与实验中的核阻止特性的紧密联系,接着分别研究了RHIC能区所产生质子、反质子和净质子的分布,这些研究可以帮助我们深入了解最新的RHIC能区的粒子分布和核阻止特征.     

Interpreting near-side correlations and the RHIC beam energy scan

Recent data from heavy ion collisions at RHIC show strong near-side correlations extending over several units of rapidity. This ridge-like correlation exhibits an abrupt onset with collision centrality. In this talk, I argue that the centrality and beam-energy dependence of these near-angle correlations could provide access to information about the Quark Gluon Plasma phase boundary and the Equation of State of nuclear matter. A beam-energy-scan at RHIC will better reveal the true source of these correlations and should be a high priority at RHIC.     

The RHIC polarized source upgrade

The RHIC polarized H^? ion source is being upgraded to higher intensity and polarization for use in the RHIC polarization physics program at enhanced luminosity RHIC operation. The higher beam intensity will allow reduction of the longitudinal transverse beam emittance at injection to AGS to reduce polarization losses in AGS. There is also a planned RHIC luminosity upgrade by using the electron beam lens to compensate the beam-beam interaction at collision points. This upgrade is also essential for future BNL plans for a high-luminosity electron-proton (ion) Collider eRHIC. The basic limitations on the high-intensity H^? ion beam production in charge-exchange collisions of the neutral atomic hydrogen beam in the Na-vapor jet ionizer cell were experimentally studied.     

Open charm production from d + Au collisions in STAR

Charmed hadrons are interesting observables in heavy ion collisions. They are becoming more accessible to experimental scrutiny at RHIC energies due to the increased production cross-section of charm with the larger centre-of-mass energy available at RHIC compared to SPS. One source of interest in charm production is due to the fact that gluon fusion dominates the charm production cross-section at high energy. Hence, a measurement of charm hadrons is directly sensitive to the gluon distributions of the colliding particles. In addition, any measurement of production at RHIC, and more importantly any observed suppression, must be compared to the overall production of pairs. A systematic study of charmed hadrons in all collision systems available at RHIC is therefore an invaluable experimental tool in the characterization of the matter produced at RHIC. In particular, d + Au collisions are a necessary step for the comparison of any possible modification of charm production in Au + Au collisions. We present preliminary results on D meson production from d + Au collisions in STAR at = 200 . Arrival of the final proofs: 26 July 2005 PACS: 13.20.Fc, 13.25.Ft, 25.75.-q, 24.85. + p     

Analysis of charged hadron multiplicity distributions at RHIC

It is demonstrated that with Heinz's collective flow model charged particle distributions at AGS and lower SPS energies (less than 20 GeV/n) ,can successfully be analyzed,but that the model fails for the RHIC data.Heinz's model calculation underestimates the tails of the charged particle distributions from RHIC,the discrepancy becoming bigger as the energy increases.To study the multiplicity distributions at RHIC we develop the so-cailed"Thermalization Component Model",which is based on Heinz's collective flow model.It is realized that the limitation of phase space of collective flow can be reflected in that of the thermalization region.By comparing the contributions of particle production from the thermalization regions at different energies and different centralities,we can deepen our understanding of the features of collective motion at RHIC.     

The future of hard and electromagnetic probes at RHIC

Potential near- and long-term physics opportunities with jets, heavy flavors and electromagnetic probes at RHIC are presented. Much new physics remains to be unveiled using these probes, due to their sensitivity to the initial high density stage of RHIC collisions, when quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formation is expected. Additional physics will include addressing deconfinement, chiral symmetry restoration, properties of the strongly-coupled QGP and a possible weakly-interacting QGP, color glass condensate in the initial state, and hadronization. To fully realize the physics prospects of the RHIC energy regime, new detector components must be added to existing experiments, the RHIC machine luminosity upgraded, and a possible new detector with significantly extended coverage and capabilities added.Arrival of the final proofs: 26 July 2005PACS: 25.75Nq     

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).     

Localisation of optical modes in complex networks

Polarimeters were developed to measure the polarization of the proton beam at RHIC in relative scale through the asymmetry measurement of the elastic proton-carbon scattering. Recoil carbon ions with kinetic energy of 400 ≤ E ≤ 900 keV were detected by silicon strip detectors installed at 90° with respect to the beam. The absolute polarization is given by normalizing against another polarimeter implemented at RHIC, namely a polarized hydrogen gas jet polarimeter. In this report, the details of polarization measurements, data analysis, and systematic uncertainties are discussed based on the data taken during √s = 200 GeV operation of Run05 at RHIC.     

Long range rapidity correlations as seen in the STAR experiment

We analyze long range rapidity correlations observed in the STAR experiment at RHIC. Our goal is to extract properties of the two particle correlation matrix, accounting for the analysis method of the STAR experiment. We find a surprisingly large correlation strength for central collisions of gold nuclei at highest RHIC energies. We argue that such correlations cannot be the result of impact parameter fluctuations.     

Open charm and beauty at ultrarelativistic heavy ion colliders

Important goals of BNL RHIC and CERN LHC experiments with ion beams include the creation and study of new forms of matter, such as the quark gluon plasma. Heavy quark production and attenuation provide unique tomographic probes of that matter. We predict the suppression pattern of open charm and beauty in Au+Au collisions at RHIC and LHC energies based on the DGLV formalism of radiative energy loss. A cancellation between effects due to the sqrt[s] energy dependence of the high p(T) slope and heavy quark energy loss is predicted to lead to surprising similarity of heavy quark suppression at RHIC and LHC.     

Parton energy loss at strong coupling and the universal bound

The apparent universality of jet quenching observed in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC for light and heavy quarks, as well as for quarks and gluons, is very puzzling and calls for a theoretical explanation. Recently, it has been proposed that synchrotron-like radiation at strong coupling gives rise to a universal bound on the energy of a parton escaping from the medium. Since this bound appears to be quite low, almost all of the observed particles at high transverse momentum have to originate from the surface of the hot fireball. Here I make a first attempt of checking this scenario against the RHIC data and formulate a “universal-bound model” of jet quenching that can be further tested at RHIC and LHC.