Theoretical status of J/{psi} suppression

Conference · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:10165483

Gavin, S

High energy heavy ion collisions are expected to produce hadron densities far beyond the density in nuclei, {rho}{sub 0} = 0.16 fm{sup {minus}3}. Remarkably, no single measurement from the AGS and SPS light ion programs with projectiles A {le} 32 stands out as unambiguous evidence of these extreme densities. To separate the high density signals from the background effects that result, e.g. from scattering with primary nucleons, careful systematic studies of hadron-nucleus, hA, and nucleus-nucleus, AB, data are needed. In this talk the author surveys the ongoing systematic study of the most notorious case in point -- J/{psi} suppression. In principle, measurements of J/{psi} suppression provide a probe of the densities obtained in AB collisions that is also sensitive to quark gluon plasma production. The latest results from SPS experiment NA38 reported by A. Romana in these proceedings show that the ratio of cross sections in the dimuon channel B{sub {mu}{mu}}{sigma}{sub {psi}}/{sigma}{sub cont} is reduced by a factor 0.50 {plus_minus} 0.05 in central S+U compared to minimum bias pU collisions at 200 AGeV. This is precisely the sort of suppression that one expects if high densities are obtained. On the other hand, a target-mass dependence suggestive of this suppression is found in hA collisions where high densities are not expected. At 200 GeV, NA38 finds that B{sub {mu}{mu}}{sigma}{sub {psi}}/{sigma}{sub cont} falls to 0.84 {plus_minus} 0.08 in pU compared to pCu. The hA suppression in this kinematic regime is likely due to a combination of nuclear effects: nucleon absorption and shadowing.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 10165483
• Report Number(s): BNL--48876; CONF-9301109--2; ON: DE93014290
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

662230
662340
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BROOKHAVEN AGS
CERN SPS SYNCHROTRON
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
DATA
DETECTION
GEV RANGE
HADRON INTERACTIONS
HEAVY ION REACTIONS
J PSI-3097 MESONS
MUON PAIRS
NUCLEON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE KINEMATICS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS
QUARK MATTER
SHOWER COUNTERS
TRANSVERSE ENERGY