Recent PHENIX results on high-pT light hadron production

Dmitry Kotov,Y Aharonov,S Kabana,L Bravina

doi:10.1051/epjconf/201818202069

Dmitry Kotov, Y Aharonov + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201818202069

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Abstract

Production of Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) has been established in central heavy ion collisions (Au+Au, Cu+Cu) at RHIC energies. Observation of strong suppression of hadron yields at high transverse momentum served as one of the most important evidences in favor of production of a new state of matter in such collisions. Recent RHIC run with asymmetric collision system (Cu+Au) provides the means to systematically study suppression pattern of hadrons in different nuclear overlap geometry needed to improve theoretical description of parton energy loss in QGP. Non-zero elliptic flow and a hint of suppression of high pT hadrons suggests that mini-QGP can be formed in collisions of light and heavy nuclei characterized by high charged particle multiplicities. To address the question of collective behavior in small systems RHIC provided series of geometry controlled experiments with highly asymmetric systems (p+Al, p+Au, 3He+Au). The recent results from the PHENIX experiment at RHIC on π0 and η mesons production in asymmetric systems will be presented and discussed.

Highlights

Jet quenching is one of the evidences of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formation in central heavy ion collisions [1]
This paper presents results from PHENIX experiment number of asymmetric systems (p+Au, d+Au, 3He+Au, at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) Cu+Au)
R√AAsNfNact=or2s0m0eGaseuVre. dPfroordπu0ctaionnd η mesons in central, semi-central and peripheral of π0 and η mesons is suppressed by about a factor of two in most central Cu+Au collisions which is consistent with parton energy loss in hot and dense medium

Summary

Introduction

Jet quenching is one of the evidences of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formation in central heavy ion collisions [1]. Jet-quenching at RHIC and LHC is observed as suppression of leading particles such as π0, η-mesons and jets, which are directly associated with partons, formed in the medium [2]. RHIC results from Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions showed suppression of high-pT particles as expected from parton energy loss in a hot and dense medium [3]. An additional insight into the mechanism of particle production and parton energy loss can be gained from interactions of asymmetric Cu+Au collisions. Configuration of two different nuclei, Cu and Au, opens an opportunity to study particle production in different initial collision geometries. Despite the fact that number of nucleons participating in interaction is similar for symmetric and assymetric collisions, the shape of overlap region is different, which can influence particle production

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