Anomalous centrality evolution of two-particle angular correlations from Au-Au collisions at √sNN=62 and 200 GeV

作者：Agakishiev, G.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Ahammed, Z.; Alakhverdyants, A. V.; Alekseev, I.; Alford, J.; Anderson, B. D.; Anson, C. D.; Arkhipkin, D.; Averichev, G. S.; Balewski, J.; Beavis, D. R.; Behera, N. K.; Bellwied, R.; Betancourt, M. J.; Betts, R. R.; Bhasin, A.; Bhati, A. K.; Bichsel, H.; Bielcik, J.; Bielcikova, J.; Bland, L. C.; Bordyuzhin, I. G.; Borowski, W.; Bouchet, J.; Braidot, E.; Brandin, A. V.; Brovko, S. G.; Bruna, E.; Bueltmann, S.; Bunzarov, I.; Burton, T. P.; Cai, X. Z.; Caines, H.

来源：Physical Review C, 2012, 86(6): 064902.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevC.86.064902

• QUARK-GLUON PLASMA
• FLUCTUATION SCALE DEPENDENCE
• TRANSVERSE-MOMENTUM
• NUCLEAR COLLISIONS
• QCD MATTER
• ENERGY
• THERMALIZATION
• MODEL
• FLOW
• P(T)

We present two-dimensional (2D) two-particle angular correlations measured with the STAR detector on relative pseudorapidity eta and azimuth phi for charged particles from Au-Au collisions at root s(NN) = 62 and 200 GeV with transverse momentum p(t) >= 0.15 GeV/c, vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 1, and 2 pi in azimuth. Observed correlations include a same-side (relative azimuth <pi/2) 2D peak, a closely related away-side azimuth dipole, and an azimuth quadrupole conventionally associated with elliptic flow. The same-side 2D peak and away-side dipole are explained by semihard parton scattering and fragmentation (minijets) in proton-proton and peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions. Those structures follow N-N binary-collision scaling in Au-Au collisions until midcentrality, where a transition to a qualitatively different centrality trend occurs within one 10% centrality bin. Above the transition point the number of same-side and away-side correlated pairs increases rapidly relative to binary-collision scaling, the eta width of the same-side 2D peak also increases rapidly (eta elongation), and the phi width actually decreases significantly. Those centrality trends are in marked contrast with conventional expectations for jet quenching in a dense medium. The observed centrality trends are compared to perturbative QCD predictions computed in HIJING, which serve as a theoretical baseline, and to the expected trends for semihard parton scattering and fragmentation in a thermalized opaque medium predicted by theoretical calculations and phenomenological models. We are unable to reconcile a semihard parton scattering and fragmentation origin for the observed correlation structure and centrality trends with heavy-ion collision scenarios that invoke rapid parton thermalization. If the collision system turns out to be effectively opaque to few-GeV partons the present observations would be inconsistent with the minijet picture discussed here. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.86.064902

• 出版日期2012-12-12
• 单位华中师范大学; 中国科学院上海应用物理研究所; 山东大学; 清华大学