Charged and strange hadron elliptic flow in Cu + Cu collisions at √sNN = 62.4 and 200 GeV
We present the results of an elliptic flow, v{sub 2}, analysis of Cu+Cu collisions recorded with the solenoidal tracker detector (STAR) at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at {radical}s{sub NN} = 62.4 and 200 GeV. Elliptic flow as a function of transverse momentum, v{sub 2}(p{sub T}), is reported for different collision centralities for charged hadrons h{sup {+-}} and strangeness-containing hadrons K{sub S}{sup 0}, {Lambda}, {Xi}, and {phi} in the midrapidity region |{eta}| < 1.0. Significant reduction in systematic uncertainty of the measurement due to nonflow effects has been achieved by correlating particles at midrapidity, |{eta}| < 1.0, with those at forward rapidity, 2.5 < |{eta}| < 4.0. We also present azimuthal correlations in p+p collisions at {radical}s = 200 GeV to help in estimating nonflow effects. To study the system-size dependence of elliptic flow, we present a detailed comparison with previously published results from Au+Au collisions at {radical}s{sub NN} = 200 GeV. We observe that v{sub 2}(p{sub T}) of strange hadrons has similar scaling properties as were first observed in Au+Au collisions, that is, (i) at low transverse momenta, p{sub T} < 2 GeV/c, v{sub 2} scales with transverse kinetic energy, m{sub T}-m, and (ii) at intermediate p{sub T}, 2 < p{sub T} < 4 GeV/c, it scales with the number of constituent quarks, n{sub q}. We have found that ideal hydrodynamic calculations fail to reproduce the centrality dependence of v{sub 2}(p{sub T}) for K{sub s}{sup 0} and {Lambda}. Eccentricity scaled v{sub 2} values, v{sub 2}/{var_epsilon}, are larger in more central collisions, suggesting stronger collective flow develops in more central collisions. The comparison with Au+Au collisions, which go further in density, shows that v{sub 2}/{var_epsilon} depends on the system size, that is, the number of participants N{sub part}. This indicates that the ideal hydrodynamic limit is not reached in Cu+Cu collisions, presumably because the assumption of thermalization is not attained.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Doe - Office Of Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 989156
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-93802-2010-JA; R&D Project: PO-003; KB0202012; TRN: US1007042
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review C, Vol. 81, Issue 4; ISSN 0556-2813
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Charged and strange hadron elliptic flow in Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt sNN = 62.4 and 200 GeV
Charged and strange hadron elliptic flow in Cu+Cu collisions at sq root(s{sub NN})=62.4 and 200 GeV