Measurements of the nuclear modification factor for jets in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN =2.76TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of inclusive jet production are performed in pp and Pb+Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.0 pb−1 and 0.14 nb−1 , respectively. The jets are identified with the anti-kt algorithm with R=0.4, and the spectra are measured over the kinematic range of jet transverse momentum 32nuclear modification factor, RAA, is evaluated and jets are found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in central collisions compared to pp collisions. The RAA shows a slight increase with pT and no significant variation with rapidity.

The tensor-kinetic field in nuclear collisions

The role of the tensor terms in the Skyrme interaction is studied for their effect in dynamic calculations where non-zero contributions to the mean-field may arise, even when the starting nucleus, or nuclei are even-even and have no active time-odd potentials in the ground state. We study collisions in the test-bed 16O-16O system, and give a qualitative analysis of the behaviour of the time-odd tensor-kinetic density, which only appears in the mean field Hamiltonian in the presence of the tensor force. We find an axial excitation of this density is induced by a collision.

Ultra peripheral heavy ion collisions and the energy dependence of the nuclear radius

To estimate realistic cross sections in ultra peripheral heavy ion collisions we must remove effects of strong absorption. One method to eliminate these effects make use of a Glauber model calculation, where the nucleon-nucleon energy dependent cross sections at small impact parameter are suppressed. In another method we impose a geometrical cut on the minimal impact parameter of the nuclear collision ((b)min > R-1 + R-2, where R-i is the radius of ion 'i'). In this last case the effect of a possible nuclear radius dependence with the energy has not been considered in detail up to now. Here we introduce this effect showing that for final states with small invariant mass the effect is negligible. However when the final state has a relatively large invariant mass, e.g., an intermediate mass Higgs boson, the cross section can decrease up to 50%. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hadronic physics in peripheral heavy Ion collisions

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Search for new physics in events with opposite-sign leptons, jets, and missing transverse energy in pp collisions at s=7 TeV

A search is presented for physics beyond the standard model (BSM) in final states with a pair of opposite-sign isolated leptons accompanied by jets and missing transverse energy. The search uses LHC data recorded at a center-of-mass energy s=7 TeV with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 5 fb-1. Two complementary search strategies are employed. The first probes models with a specific dilepton production mechanism that leads to a characteristic kinematic edge in the dilepton mass distribution. The second strategy probes models of dilepton production with heavy, colored objects that decay to final states including invisible particles, leading to very large hadronic activity and missing transverse energy. No evidence for an event yield in excess of the standard model expectations is found. Upper limits on the BSM contributions to the signal regions are deduced from the results, which are used to exclude a region of the parameter space of the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Additional information related to detector efficiencies and response is provided to allow testing specific models of BSM physics not considered in this Letter. © 2012 CERN.

Temporal evolution of tubular initial conditions and their influence on two-particle correlations in relativistic nuclear collisions

Relativistic nuclear collisions data on two-particle correlations exhibit structures as function of relative azimuthal angle and rapidity. A unified description of these near-side and away-side structures is proposed for low to moderate transverse momentum. It is based on the combined effect of tubular initial conditions and hydrodynamical expansion. Contrary to expectations, the hydrodynamics solution shows that the high-energy density tubes (leftover from the initial particle interactions) give rise to particle emission in two directions and this is what leads to the various structures. This description is sensitive to some of the initial tube parameters and may provide a probe of the strong interaction. This explanation is compared with an alternative one where some triangularity in the initial conditions is assumed. A possible experimental test is suggested. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observation Of D0 Meson Nuclear Modifications In Au+au Collisions At Sqrt[s(nn)] = 200 Gev.

We report the first measurement of charmed-hadron (D(0)) production via the hadronic decay channel (D(0) → K(-) + π(+)) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV with the STAR experiment. The charm production cross section per nucleon-nucleon collision at midrapidity scales with the number of binary collisions, N(bin), from p+p to central Au+Au collisions. The D(0) meson yields in central Au + Au collisions are strongly suppressed compared to those in p+p scaled by N(bin), for transverse momenta p(T) > 3 GeV/c, demonstrating significant energy loss of charm quarks in the hot and dense medium. An enhancement at intermediate p(T) is also observed. Model calculations including strong charm-medium interactions and coalescence hadronization describe our measurements.

Spin alignment measurements of the K*(0)(892) and phi(1020) vector mesons in heavy ion collisions at root S(NN)=200 GeV

We present the first spin alignment measurements for the K*(0)(892) and phi(1020) vector mesons produced at midrapidity with transverse momenta up to 5 GeV/c at root s(NN) = 200 GeV at RHIC. The diagonal spin-density matrix elements with respect to the reaction plane in Au+Au collisions are rho(00) = 0.32 +/- 0.04 (stat) +/- 0.09 (syst) for the K*(0) (0.8 < p(T) < 5.0 GeV/c) and rho(00) = 0.34 +/- 0.02 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) for the phi (0.4 < p(T) < 5.0 GeV/c) and are constant with transverse momentum and collision centrality. The data are consistent with the unpolarized expectation of 1/3 and thus no evidence is found for the transfer of the orbital angular momentum of the colliding system to the vector-meson spins. Spin alignments for K(*0) and phi in Au+Au collisions were also measured with respect to the particle's production plane. The phi result, rho(00) = 0.41 +/- 0.02 (stat) +/- 0.04 (syst), is consistent with that in p+p collisions, rho(00) = 0.39 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.06 (syst), also measured in this work. The measurements thus constrain the possible size of polarization phenomena in the production dynamics of vector mesons.

Centrality dependence of charged hadron and strange hadron elliptic flow from root s(NN)=200 GeVAu+Au collisions

We present STAR results on the elliptic flow upsilon(2) Of charged hadrons, strange and multistrange particles from,root s(NN) = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The detailed study of the centrality dependence of upsilon(2) over a broad transverse momentum range is presented. Comparisons of different analysis methods are made in order to estimate systematic uncertainties. To discuss the nonflow effect, we have performed the first analysis Of upsilon(2) with the Lee-Yang zero method for K(S)(0) and A. In the relatively low PT region, P(T) <= 2 GeV/c, a scaling with m(T) - m is observed for identified hadrons in each centrality bin studied. However, we do not observe nu 2(p(T))) scaled by the participant eccentricity to be independent of centrality. At higher PT, 2 1 <= PT <= 6 GeV/c, V2 scales with quark number for all hadrons studied. For the multistrange hadron Omega, which does not suffer appreciable hadronic interactions, the values of upsilon(2) are consistent with both m(T) - m scaling at low p(T) and number-of-quark scaling at intermediate p(T). As a function ofcollision centrality, an increase of p(T)-integrated upsilon(2) scaled by the participant eccentricity has been observed, indicating a stronger collective flow in more central Au+Au collisions.

Enhanced strange baryon production in Au+Au collisions compared to p+p at root s(NN)=200 GeV

We report on the observed differences in production rates of strange and multistrange baryons in Au+Au collisions at s(NN)=200 GeV compared to p+p interactions at the same energy. The strange baryon yields in Au+Au collisions, when scaled down by the number of participating nucleons, are enhanced relative to those measured in p+p reactions. The enhancement observed increases with the strangeness content of the baryon, and it increases for all strange baryons with collision centrality. The enhancement is qualitatively similar to that observed at the lower collision energy s(NN)=17.3 GeV. The previous observations are for the bulk production, while at intermediate p(T),1 < p(T)< 4 GeV/c, the strange baryons even exceed binary scaling from p+p yields.

rho(0) photoproduction in ultraperipheral relativistic heavy ion collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

Photoproduction reactions occur when the electromagnetic field of a relativistic heavy ion interacts with another heavy ion. The STAR Collaboration presents a measurement of rho(0) and direct pi(+)pi(-) photoproduction in ultraperipheral relativistic heavy ion collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. We observe both exclusive photoproduction and photoproduction accompanied by mutual Coulomb excitation. We find a coherent cross section of sigma(AuAu -> Au*Au*rho(0)) = 530 +/- 19(stat.) +/- 57(syst.) mb, in accord with theoretical calculations based on a Glauber approach, but considerably below the predictions of a color dipole model. The rho 0 transverse momentum spectrum (p(T)(2)) is fit by a double exponential curve including both coherent and incoherent coupling to the target nucleus; we find sigma(inc)/sigma(coh) = 0.29 +/- 0.03 (stat.) +/- 0.08 (syst.). The ratio of direct pi(+)pi(-) to rho(0) production is comparable to that observed in gamma(p) collisions at HERA and appears to be independent of photon energy. Finally, the measured rho(0) spin helicity matrix elements agree within errors with the expected s-channel helicity conservation.

Nuclear incoherent photoproduction of pi(0) and eta from 4 to 12 GeV

The mechanism of incoherent pi(0) and eta photoproduction from complex nuclei is investigated from 4 to 12 GeV with an extended version of the multicollisional Monte Carlo (MCMC) intranuclear cascade model. The calculations take into account the elementary photoproduction amplitudes via a Regge model and the nuclear effects of photon shadowing, Pauli blocking, and meson-nucleus final-state interactions. The results for pi(0) photoproduction reproduced for the first time the magnitude and energy dependence of the measured rations sigma(gamma A)/sigma(gamma N) for several nuclei (Be, C, Al, Cu, Ag, and Pb) from a Cornell experiment. The results for eta photoproduction fitted the inelastic background in Cornell's yields remarkably well, which is clearly not isotropic as previously considered in Cornell's analysis. With this constraint for the background, the eta -> gamma gamma. decay width was extracted using the Primakoff method, combining Be and Cu data [Gamma(eta ->gamma gamma) = 0.476(62) keV] and using Be data only [Gamma(eta ->gamma gamma) = 0.512(90) keV]; where the errors are only statistical. These results are in sharp contrast (similar to 50-60%) with the value reported by the Cornell group [Gamma(eta ->gamma gamma). = 0.324(46) keV] and in line with the Particle Data Group average of 0.510(26) keV.

Exclusive vector meson production in electron-ion collisions

We calculate the nuclear cross section for coherent and incoherent vector meson production within the QCD color dipole picture, including saturation effects. Theoretical estimates for scattering on both light and heavy nuclei are given over a wide range of energy.

FLUCTUATIONS AND INITIAL STATE GRANULARITY IN HEAVY ION COLLISIONS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON OBSERVABLES FROM HYDRODYNAMICS

A comparison is made between results obtained using smooth initial conditions and event-by-event initial conditions in the hydrodynamical description of relativistic nuclear collisions. Some new results on directed flow are also included.

High-p(T) pi(0) production with respect to the reaction plane in Au plus Au collisions at s(NN)=200 GeV

Measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy of high-p(T) neutral pion (pi(0)) production in Au+Au collisions at s(NN)=200 GeV by the PHENIX experiment are presented. The data included in this article were collected during the 2004 Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider running period and represent approximately an order of magnitude increase in the number of analyzed events relative to previously published results. Azimuthal angle distributions of pi(0) mesons detected in the PHENIX electromagnetic calorimeters are measured relative to the reaction plane determined event-by-event using the forward and backward beam-beam counters. Amplitudes of the second Fourier component (v(2)) of the angular distributions are presented as a function of pi(0) transverse momentum (p(T)) for different bins in collision centrality. Measured reaction plane dependent pi(0) yields are used to determine the azimuthal dependence of the pi(0) suppression as a function of p(T), R(AA)(Delta phi,p(T)). A jet-quenching motivated geometric analysis is presented that attempts to simultaneously describe the centrality dependence and reaction plane angle dependence of the pi(0) suppression in terms of the path lengths of hypothetical parent partons in the medium. This set of results allows for a detailed examination of the influence of geometry in the collision region and of the interplay between collective flow and jet-quenching effects along the azimuthal axis.