Global polarization of $Lambda$ hyperons in Au+Au collisions at $sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV


Abstract in English

Global polarization of $Lambda$ hyperons has been measured to be of the order of a few tenths of a percent in Au+Au collisions at $sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV, with no significant difference between $Lambda$ and $bar{Lambda}$. These new results reveal the collision energy dependence of the global polarization together with the results previously observed at $sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 7.7 -- 62.4 GeV and indicate noticeable vorticity of the medium created in non-central heavy-ion collisions at the highest RHIC collision energy. The signal is in rough quantitative agreement with the theoretical predictions from a hydrodynamic model and from the AMPT (A Multi-Phase Transport) model. The polarization is larger in more peripheral collisions, and depends weakly on the hyperons transverse momentum and pseudorapidity $eta^H$ within $|eta^H|<1$. An indication of the polarization dependence on the event-by-event charge asymmetry is observed at the $2sigma$ level, suggesting a possible contribution to the polarization from the axial current induced by the initial magnetic field.

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