179 research outputs found

    Measurements of W and Z/γ* cross sections and their ratios in p+p collisions at RHIC

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    We report on the W and Z/γ∗ differential and total cross sections as well as the W+/W− and (W++W−)/(Z/γ∗) cross section ratios measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC in p+p collisions at√s=500GeV and 510 GeV. The cross sections and their ratios are sensitive to quark and antiquark parton distribution functions. In particular, at leading order, the W cross section ratio is sensitive to the¯d/¯u ratio. These measurements were taken at high Q2∼M2W,M2Z and can serve as input into global analyses to provide constraints on the sea quark distributions. The results presented here combine three STAR datasets from 2011, 2012, and 2013, accumulating an integrated luminosity of 350pb−1. We also assess the expected impact that our W+/W− cross section ratios will have on various quark distributions, and find sensitivity to the ¯u−¯d and ¯d/¯u distributions

    Measurement of the longitudinal spin asymmetries for weak boson production in proton-proton collisions at s=510 GeV

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    We report new STAR measurements of the single-spin asymmetries AL for W+ and W- bosons produced in polarized proton-proton collisions at s=510 GeV as a function of the decay-positron and decay-electron pseudorapidity. The data were obtained in 2013 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 250 pb-1. The results are combined with previous results obtained with 86 pb-1. A comparison with theoretical expectations based on polarized lepton-nucleon deep-inelastic scattering and prior polarized proton-proton data suggests a difference between the u ̄ and d ̄ quark helicity distributions for 0.05<x<0.25. In addition, we report new results for the double-spin asymmetries ALL for W±, as well as AL for Z/γ* production and subsequent decay into electron-positron pairs

    Measurement of the Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetry in p ↑+p →w± /Z0 at RHIC

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    We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at s=500 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the nonuniversality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD

    Jet-like correlations with direct-photon and neutral-pion triggers at sNN=200 GeV

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    AbstractAzimuthal correlations of charged hadrons with direct-photon (γdir) and neutral-pion (π0) trigger particles are analyzed in central Au+Au and minimum-bias p+p collisions at sNN=200 GeV in the STAR experiment. The charged-hadron per-trigger yields at mid-rapidity from central Au+Au collisions are compared with p+p collisions to quantify the suppression in Au+Au collisions. The suppression of the away-side associated-particle yields per γdir trigger is independent of the transverse momentum of the trigger particle (pTtrig), whereas the suppression is smaller at low transverse momentum of the associated charged hadrons (pTassoc). Within uncertainty, similar levels of suppression are observed for γdir and π0 triggers as a function of zT (≡pTassoc/pTtrig). The results are compared with energy-loss-inspired theoretical model predictions. Our studies support previous conclusions that the lost energy reappears predominantly at low transverse momentum, regardless of the trigger energy

    Measurement of the Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetry in p up arrow plus p -> W-+/-/Z(0) at RHIC

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    We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at root s = 500 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the nonuniversality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD

    Elliptic flow of electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays in Au + Au collisions at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:msub><mml:mi>s</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mi>N</mml:mi><mml:mi>N</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>200</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math> , 62.4, and 39 GeV

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    We present measurements of elliptic flow (v2) of electrons from the decays of heavy-flavor hadrons (eHF) by the STAR experiment. For Au+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV we report v2, for transverse momentum (pT) between 0.2 and 7 GeV/c, using three methods: the event plane method (v2{EP}), two-particle correlations (v2{2}), and four-particle correlations (v2{4}). For Au+Au collisions at sNN=62.4 and 39 GeV we report v2{2} for pT<2GeV/c. v2{2} and v2{4} are nonzero at low and intermediate pT at 200 GeV, and v2{2} is consistent with zero at low pT at other energies. The v2{2} at the two lower beam energies is systematically lower than at sNN=200 GeV for pT<1GeV/c. This difference may suggest that charm quarks interact less strongly with the surrounding nuclear matter at those two lower energies compared to sNN=200 GeV

    Bulk properties of the medium produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions from the beam energy scan program

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    We present measurements of bulk properties of the matter produced in Au+Au collisions at sNN=7.7,11.5,19.6,27, and 39 GeV using identified hadrons (π±, K±, p, and p ̄) from the STAR experiment in the Beam Energy Scan (BES) Program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Midrapidity (|y|<0.1) results for multiplicity densities dN/dy, average transverse momenta 〈pT〉, and particle ratios are presented. The chemical and kinetic freeze-out dynamics at these energies are discussed and presented as a function of collision centrality and energy. These results constitute the systematic measurements of bulk properties of matter formed in heavy-ion collisions over a broad range of energy (or baryon chemical potential) at RHIC

    Coherent diffractive photoproduction of ρ0 mesons on gold nuclei at 200 GeV/nucleon-pair at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

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    The STAR Collaboration reports on the photoproduction of π+π− pairs in gold-gold collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV/nucleon-pair. These pion pairs are produced when a nearly real photon emitted by one ion scatters from the other ion. We fit the π+π− invariant-mass spectrum with a combination of ρ0 and ω resonances and a direct π+π− continuum. This is the first observation of the ω in ultraperipheral collisions, and the first measurement of ρ-ω interference at energies where photoproduction is dominated by Pomeron exchange. The ω amplitude is consistent with the measured γp→ωp cross section, a classical Glauber calculation, and the ω→π+π− branching ratio. The ω phase angle is similar to that observed at much lower energies, showing that the ρ-ω phase difference does not depend significantly on photon energy. The ρ0 differential cross section dσ/dt exhibits a clear diffraction pattern, compatible with scattering from a gold nucleus, with two minima visible. The positions of the diffractive minima agree better with the predictions of a quantum Glauber calculation that does not include nuclear shadowing than with a calculation that does include shadowing

    Near-side azimuthal and pseudorapidity correlations using neutral strange baryons and mesons in d + Au, Cu + Cu, and Au + Au collisions at √s<sub>NN</sub>=200 GeV

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    We present measurements of the near side of triggered di-hadron correlations using neutral strange baryons (Λ,anti-Λ) and mesons (K0s) at intermediate transverse momentum (3 &lt; pT &lt; 6 GeV/c) to look for possible flavor and baryon-meson dependence. This study is performed in d+Au, Cu+Cu, and Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The near-side di-hadron correlation contains two structures, a peak which is narrow in azimuth and pseudorapidity consistent with correlations from jet fragmentation, and a correlation in azimuth which is broad in pseudorapidity. The particle composition of the jet-like correlation is determined using identified associated particles. The dependence of the conditional yield of the jet-like correlation on the trigger particle momentum, associated particle momentum, and centrality for correlations with unidentified trigger particles are presented. The neutral strange particle composition in jet-like correlations with unidentified charged particle triggers is not well described by PYTHIA. However, the yield of unidentified particles in jet-like correlations with neutral strange particle triggers is described reasonably well by the same model
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