No Arabic abstract
We present phi-meson transverse momentum distribution as well as its elliptic flow (v_{2}) measurements in Au + Au collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt{s_{NN}} = 7.7, 11.5 and 39 GeV with the data taken from STAR experiment at RHIC in the year 2010. We discuss the energy dependence of phi-meson elliptic flow (v_{2}) and central-to-peripheral nuclear modification factors (R_{CP}). The v_{2} of phi-mesons are compared to those from other hadron species. The implications on partonic-hadronic phase transition are discussed.
We present measurement of elliptic flow, $v_2$, for charged and identified particles at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at $sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7 - 39 GeV. We compare the inclusive charged hadron $v_2$ to those from transport model calculations, such as UrQMD model, AMPT default model and AMPT string-melting model. We discuss the energy dependence of the difference in $v_2$ between particles and anti-particles. The $v_2$ of $phi$ meson is observed to be systematically lower than other particles in Au+Au collisions at $sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 11.5 GeV.
We present results for the measurement of $phi$ meson production via its charged kaon decay channel $phi to K^+K^-$ in Au+Au collisions at $sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=62.4$, 130, and 200 GeV, and in $p+p$ and $d$+Au collisions at $sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV from the STAR experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The midrapidity ($|y|<0.5$) $phi$ meson transverse momentum ($p_{T}$) spectra in central Au+Au collisions are found to be well described by a single exponential distribution. On the other hand, the $p_{T}$ spectra from $p+p$, $d$+Au and peripheral Au+Au collisions show power-law tails at intermediate and high $p_{T}$ and are described better by Levy distributions. The constant $phi/K^-$ yield ratio vs beam species, collision centrality and colliding energy is in contradiction with expectations from models having kaon coalescence as the dominant mechanism for $phi$ production at RHIC. The $Omega/phi$ yield ratio as a function of $p_{T}$ is consistent with a model based on the recombination of thermal $s$ quarks up to $p_{T}sim 4$ GeV/$c$, but disagrees at higher transverse momenta. The measured nuclear modification factor, $R_{dAu}$, for the $phi$ meson increases above unity at intermediate $p_{T}$, similar to that for pions and protons, while $R_{AA}$ is suppressed due to the energy loss effect in central Au+Au collisions. Number of constituent quark scaling of both $R_{cp}$ and $v_{2}$ for the $phi$ meson with respect to other hadrons in Au+Au collisions at $sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$=200 GeV at intermediate $p_{T}$ is observed. These observations support quark coalescence as being the dominant mechanism of hadronization in the intermediate $p_{T}$ region at RHIC.
We summarize our current understanding of the connection between the QCD phase line and the chemical freeze-out curve as deduced from thermal analyses of yields of particles produced in central collisions between relativistic nuclei.
We update briefly our understanding of hadron production in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions in terms of statistical models with emphasis on the relation of the data to the QCD phase boundary and on a puzzle in the beam energy dependence.
In nucleus-nucleus collisions at ultra-relativistic energies matter is formed with initial energy density significantly exceeding the critical energy density for the transition from hadronic to partonic matter. We will review the experimental evidence for this new form of matter - the Quark-Gluon Plasma - from recent experiments at the SPS and RHIC with emphasis on collective behavior, thermalization, and its opacity for fast partons. We will further show that one can determine from the data a fundamental QCD parameter, the critical temperature for the QCD phase transition.