New measurements of directed flow for charged hadrons, characterized by the Fourier coefficient vone, are presented for transverse momenta $mathrm{p_T}$, and centrality intervals in Au+Au collisions recorded by the STAR experiment for the center-of-mass energy range $mathrm{sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}} = 7.7 - 200$ GeV. The measurements underscore the importance of momentum conservation and the characteristic dependencies on $mathrm{sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}}$, centrality and $mathrm{p_T}$ are consistent with the expectations of geometric fluctuations generated in the initial stages of the collision, acting in concert with a hydrodynamic-like expansion. The centrality and $mathrm{p_T}$ dependencies of $mathrm{v^{even}_{1}}$, as well as an observed similarity between its excitation function and that for $mathrm{v_3}$, could serve as constraints for initial-state models. The $mathrm{v^{even}_{1}}$ excitation function could also provide an important supplement to the flow measurements employed for precision extraction of the temperature dependence of the specific shear viscosity.
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