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Geurts, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Geurts, F..

175 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Measurement of interaction between antiprotons

In this paper, one of the primary goals of nuclear physics is to understand the force between nucleons, which is a necessary step for understanding the structure of nuclei and how nuclei interact with each other. Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus in 1911, and the large body of knowledge about the nuclear force that has since been acquired was derived from studies made on nucleons or nuclei. Although antinuclei up to antihelium-4 have been discovered and their masses measured, little is known directly about the nuclear force between antinucleons. Here, we study antiproton pair correlations among data collected by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), where gold ions are collided with a centre-of-mass energy of 200 gigaelectronvolts per nucleon pair. Antiprotons are abundantly produced in such collisions, thus making it feasible to study details of the antiproton–antiproton interaction. By applying a technique similar to Hanbury Brown and Twiss intensity interferometry, we show that the force between two antiprotons is attractive. In addition, we report two key parameters that characterize the corresponding strong interaction: the scattering length and the effective range of the interaction. Our measured parameters are consistent within errors with the corresponding values for proton–proton interactions. Our results provide direct information on the interaction between two antiprotons, one of the simplest systems of antinucleons, and so are fundamental to understanding the structure of more-complex antinuclei and their properties.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measurements of dielectron production in Au + Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV from the STAR experiment

We report on measurements of dielectron (e⁺e⁻) production in Au+Au collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV per nucleon-nucleon pair using the STAR detector at RHIC. Systematic measurements of the dielectron yield as a function of transverse momentum (p T ) and collision centrality show an enhancement compared to a cocktail simulation of hadronic sources in the low invariant-mass region (M ee < 1GeV/c 2 ). This enhancement cannot be reproduced by the ρ-meson vacuum spectral function. In minimum-bias collisions, in the invariant-mass range of 0.30 – 0.76GeV/c², integrated over the full p T acceptance, the enhancement factor is 1.76±0.06(stat.)±0.26(sys.)±0.29(cocktail). The enhancement factor exhibits weak centrality and p T dependence in STAR's accessible kinematic regions, while the excess yield in this invariant-mass region as a function of the number of participating nucleons follows a power-law shape with a power of 1.44±0.10. Models that assume an in-medium broadening of the ρ-meson spectral function consistently describe the observed excess in these measurements. In addition, we report on measurements of ω- and Φ-meson production through their e⁺e⁻ decay channel. These measurements show good agreement with Tsallis blast-wave model predictions, as well as, in the case of the Φ meson, results through its K⁺K⁻ decay channel. In the intermediate invariant-mass region (1.1 < M ee < 3GeV/c²), we investigate the spectral shapes from different collision centralities. Physics implications for possible in-medium modification of charmed hadron production and other physics sources are discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Isolation of flow and nonflow correlations by two- and four-particle cumulant measurements of azimuthal harmonics in s NN = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions

A data-driven method was applied to Au+Au collisions at root S-NN = 200 GeV made with the STAR detector at RHIC to isolate pseudorapidity distance Delta eta-dependent and Delta eta-independent correlations by using two- and four-particle azimuthal cumulant measurements. We identified a Delta eta-independent component of the correlation, which is dominated by anisotropic flow and flow fluctuations. It was also found to be independent of. within the measured range of pseudorapidity vertical bar eta vertical bar < 1. In 20-30% central Au+Au collisions, the relative flow fluctuation was found to be 34% +/- 2%(stat.) +/- 3%(sys.) for particles with transverse momentum p(T) less than 2 GeV/c. The Delta eta-dependent part, attributed to nonflow correlations, is found to be 5% +/- 2%(sys.) relative to the flow of the measured second harmonic cumulant at vertical bar Delta eta vertical bar > 0.7. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Charged-to-neutral correlation at forward rapidity in Au+Au collisions at s NN = 200 GeV

Event-by-event fluctuations of the ratio of inclusive charged to photon multiplicities at forward rapidity in Au+Au collision at √s NN =200 GeV have been studied. Dominant contribution to such fluctuations is expected to come from correlated production of charged and neutral pions. We search for evidences of dynamical fluctuations of different physical origins. Observables constructed out of moments of multiplicities are used as measures of fluctuations. Mixed events and model calculations are used as baselines. Results are compared to the dynamical net-charge fluctuations measured in the same acceptance. A non-zero statistically significant signal of dynamical fluctuations is observed in excess to the model prediction when charged particles and photons are measured in the same acceptance. Thus, we find that, unlike dynamical net-charge fluctuation, charge-neutral fluctuation is not dominated by correlation due to particle decay. Results are compared to the expectations based on the generic production mechanism of pions due to isospin symmetry, for which no significant (< 1%) deviation is observed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Λ Λ Correlation Function in Au + Au Collisions at s N N = 200 GeV

We present Lambda Lambda correlation measurements in heavy-ion collisions for Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV using the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. The Lednicky-Lyuboshitz analytical model has been used to fit the data to obtain a source size, a scattering length and an effective range. Implications of the measurement of the Lambda Lambda correlation function and interaction parameters for dihyperon searches are discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dielectron Azimuthal Anisotropy at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at root s=200GeV

We report on the first measurement of the azimuthal anisotropy (v₂) of dielectrons (e⁺e⁻ pairs) at mid-rapidity from √( s NN)=200 GeV Au + Au collisions with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), presented as a function of transverse momentum (p T ) for different invariant-mass regions. In the mass region Mee<1.1 GeV/c² the dielectron v₂ measurements are found to be consistent with expectations from π⁰,η,ω, and Φ decay contributions. In the mass region 1.1 ee <2.9GeV/c², the measured dielectron v₂ is consistent, within experimental uncertainties, with that from the cc¯ contributions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Observation of D 0 meson nuclear modifications in Au + Au collisions at s NN = 200 GeV

We report the first measurement of charmed-hadron (D 0 ) production via the hadronic decay channel (D 0 → K - + π + ) in Au + Au collisions at √ s NN = 200 GeV with the STAR experiment. The charm production cross section per nucleon-nucleon collision at midrapidity scales with the number of binary collisions, N bin , from p + p to central Au + Au collisions. The D 0 meson yields in central Au + Au collisions are strongly suppressed compared to those in p + p scaled by N bin , for transverse momenta p T > 3 GeV/c, demonstrating significant energy loss of charm quarks in the hot and dense medium. Here, an enhancement at intermediate p T is also observed. Model calculations including strong charm-medium interactions and coalescence hadronization describe our measurements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Suppression of Upsilon production in d + Au and Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV (vol 735, pg 127, 2014)

We report measurements of Υ meson production in p + p, d +Au, and Au+Aucollisions using the STAR detector at RHIC. We compare the Υ yield to the measured cross section in p + p collisions in order to quantify any modifications of the yield in cold nuclear matter using d +Au data and in hot nuclear matter using Au+Au data separated into three centrality classes. Our p +p measurement is based on three times the statistics of our previous result. We obtain a nuclear modification factor for Υ (1S + 2S + 3S) in the rapidity range |y| < 1 in d + Aucollisions of RdAu = 0.79 ± 0.24(stat.) ± 0.03(syst.) ± 0.10(p + p syst.). A comparison with models including shadowing and initial state parton energy loss indicates the presence of additional cold-nuclear matter suppression. Similarly, in the top 10% most-central Au + Au collisions, we measure a nuclear modification factor of R AA = 0.49 ±0.1(stat.) ±0.02(syst.) ±0.06(p + p syst.), which is a larger suppression factor than that seen in cold nuclear matter. Our results are consistent with complete suppression of excited-state Υ mesons in Au + Aucollisions. The additional suppression in Au + Au is consistent with the level expected in model calculations that include the presence of a hot, deconfined Quark–Gluon Plasma. However, understanding the suppression seen in d + Au is still needed before any definitive statements about the nature of the suppression in Au + Au can be made.

Quarkonium in-medium↗
NASA NTRS1990

An interplanetary planar magnetic structure oriented at a large (about 80 deg) angle to the Parker spiral

Magnetic field structures in the solar wind, characterized by a variation of the field vectors within a plane inclined to the ecliptic ('Planar Magnetic Structures', PMSs), were reported recently (Nakagawa et al., 1989). These PMSs have the property that the plane of variation of the field also contains the nominal Parker spiral direction. An observation of a PMS where the direction of the line of intersection of the plane of field variation with the ecliptic plane makes a large (about 80 deg) angle to the Parker spiral direction is presented. Furthermore, the angular variables of the field (1) vary over a restricted range, and (2) are linearly related. The latter property is related to the former. Currently proposed models for the origin of PMS, inasmuch as they require field configurations which retain strict alignment with the Parker spiral direction from formation to observation, are probably incomplete.

Farrugia, M. W.↗