Measurements of open heavy-flavor hadrons in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\text{NN}}=200$ GeV with the STAR experiment

Abstract

At RHIC energies, heavy-flavor quarks are primarily produced in hard partonic scatterings in the early stages of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. This makes them an excellent probe of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) since they experience the whole evolution of the hot and dense medium. The STAR experiment allows studying the production of charm quarks and their interaction with the QGP through direct reconstruction of hadronic decays of open charm hadrons and the topological separation of electrons originating from bottom and charm hadron decays. This is possible thanks to the excellent track pointing resolution provided by the Heavy Flavor Tracker. In these proceedings, the most recent results on open heavy-flavor hadron production in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}=200$ GeV from the STAR experiment are shown. In particular, we will discuss the nuclear modification factor of D$^0$ meson, D$_\textrm{s}^+$/D$^0$ and $\Lambda_\textrm{c}^+$/D$^0$ yield ratios as a function of transverse momentum and collision centrality. Additionally, charm- and bottom- hadron decay electron elliptic flow ($v_2$) are presented. Finally, rapidity-dependent directed flow ($v_1$) of D$^0$ meson and charm-hadron decay electrons are reported.