DOE OSTI2024
The PHENIX experiment has performed a systematic study of identified charged-hadron (π Β± , πΎ Β± , π, $\bar{π}$) production at midrapidity in π + Al, 3 He + Au, and Cu + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV and U + U collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 193 GeV. Identified charged-hadron invariant transverse-momentum (π π ) and transverse-mass (π π ) spectra are presented and interpreted in terms of radially expanding thermalized systems. The particle ratios of πΎ/π and π/π have been measured in different centrality ranges of large (Cu + Au and U + U) and small (π + Al and 3 He + Au) collision systems. The values of πΎ/π ratios measured in all considered collision systems were found to be consistent with those measured in π+π collisions. However, the values of π/π ratios measured in large collision systems reach the values of β0.6, which is a factor of β2 larger than in π + π collisions. These results can be qualitatively understood in terms of the baryon enhancement expected from hadronization by recombination. Identified charged-hadron nuclear-modification factors (π
π΄β’π΅ ) are also presented. Enhancement of proton π
π΄β’π΅ values over meson π
π΄β’π΅ values was observed in central 3 He + Au, Cu + Au, and U + U collisions. Finally, the proton π
π΄β’π΅ values measured in the π + Al collision system were found to be consistent with π
π΄β’π΅ values of π, π Β± , πΎ Β± , and π 0 mesons, which may indicate that the size of the system produced in π + Al collisions is too small for recombination to cause a noticeable increase in proton production.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICSβ