Search Results (32 total)

We report the observation at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider of suppression of back-to-back correlations in the direct photon+jet channel in Au+Au relative to p+p collisions. Two-particle correlations of direct photon triggers with associated hadrons are obtained by statistical subtraction of the decay photon-hadron (γ-h) background. The initial momentum of the away-side parton is tightly constrained, because the parton-photon pair exactly balance in momentum at leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics, making such correlations a powerful probe of the in-medium parton energy loss. The away-side nuclear suppression factor, I_AA, in central Au+Au collisions, is 0.32±0.12^stat±0.09^syst for hadrons of 3<p_T^h<5 in coincidence with photons of 5<p_T^γ<15 GeV/c. The suppression is comparable to that observed for high-p_T single hadrons and dihadrons. The direct photon associated yields in p+p collisions scale approximately with the momentum balance, z_T≡p_T^h/p_T^γ, as expected for a measurement of the away-side parton fragmentation function. We compare to Au+Au collisions for which the momentum balance dependence of the nuclear modification should be sensitive to the path-length dependence of parton energy loss.

The momentum distribution of electrons from semileptonic decays of charm and bottom quarks for midrapidity |y|<0.35 in p+p collisions at sqrt[s]=200  GeV is measured by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over the transverse momentum range 2<p_T<7  GeV/c. The ratio of the yield of electrons from bottom to that from charm is presented. The ratio is determined using partial D/D̅ →e^±K^∓X (K unidentified) reconstruction. It is found that the yield of electrons from bottom becomes significant above 4  GeV/c in p_T. A fixed-order-plus-next-to-leading-log perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculation agrees with the data within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties. The extracted total bottom production cross section at this energy is σ_bb̅ =3.2_-1.1^+1.2(stat)_-1.3^+1.4(syst)μb.

The double helicity asymmetry in neutral pion production for p_T=1 to 12  GeV/c was measured with the PHENIX experiment to access the gluon-spin contribution, ΔG, to the proton spin. Measured asymmetries are consistent with zero, and at a theory scale of μ²=4  GeV² a next to leading order QCD analysis gives ΔG^[0.02,0.3]=0.2, with a constraint of -0.7<ΔG^[0.02,0.3]<0.5 at Δχ²=9 (∼3σ) for the sampled gluon momentum fraction (x) range, 0.02 to 0.3. The results are obtained using predictions for the measured asymmetries generated from four representative fits to polarized deep inelastic scattering data. We also consider the dependence of the ΔG constraint on the choice of the theoretical scale, a dominant uncertainty in these predictions.

The PHENIX experiment presents results from the RHIC 2006 run with polarized p+p collisions at sqrt[s]=62.4  GeV, for inclusive π⁰ production at midrapidity. Unpolarized cross section results are measured for transverse momenta p_T=0.5 to 7  GeV/c. Next-to-leading order perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations are compared with the data, and while the calculations are consistent with the measurements, next-to-leading logarithmic corrections improve the agreement. Double helicity asymmetries A_LL are presented for p_T=1 to 4  GeV/c and probe the higher range of Bjorken x of the gluon (x_g) with better statistical precision than our previous measurements at sqrt[s]=200  GeV. These measurements are sensitive to the gluon polarization in the proton for 0.06<x_g<0.4.

Neutral pion transverse momentum (p_T) spectra at midrapidity (|y|≲0.35) were measured in Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt[s_NN]=22.4, 62.4, and 200 GeV. Relative to π⁰ yields in p+p collisions scaled by the number of inelastic nucleon-nucleon collisions (N_coll) the π⁰ yields for p_T≳2  GeV/c in central Cu+Cu collisions are suppressed at 62.4 and 200 GeV whereas an enhancement is observed at 22.4 GeV. A comparison with a jet-quenching model suggests that final state parton energy loss dominates in central Cu+Cu collisions at 62.4 and 200 GeV, while the enhancement at 22.4 GeV is consistent with nuclear modifications in the initial state alone.

This paper proposes a new design of spin flipper for high-energy accelerators to obtain full spin flip with the spin tune staying at half integer. The traditional technique of using a single rf spin rotator with a fixed spin rotation axis and an oscillating spin rotation, either an rf dipole or solenoid, as spin flipper to achieve full spin flip in the presence of a full Siberian snake has been demonstrated [B. B. Blinov , Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 2906 (1998); B. B. Blinov , Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 014801 (2001); V. S. Morozov , Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 7, 024002 (2004); R. A. Phelps, AIP Conf. Proc. 338, 361 (1994); Ya. S. Derbenev , Part. Accel. 8, 115 (1978)]. However, this technique requires one to change the snake configuration to move the spin tune away from half integer which is not practical for an operational high-energy polarized proton collider such as RHIC where beam and polarization lifetime are sensitive to small changes. Based on the conceptual designs to use rf dipoles to achieve full spin flip with the spin tune at half integer [T. Roser, BNL Report No. BNL-52453, 1994; R. A. Phelps, BNL Report No. BNL-52453, 1994], this paper presents a compact design of a spin flipper for a high-energy accelerator. The theory of the new spin flipper technique and numerical simulations are also presented.

Acceleration of polarized protons in the energy range of 5 to 25 GeV is challenging. In a medium energy accelerator, the depolarizing spin resonances are strong enough to cause significant polarization loss but full Siberian snakes cause intolerably large orbit excursions and are also not feasible since straight sections usually are too short. Recently, two helical partial Siberian snakes with double pitch design have been installed in the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS). With a careful setup of optics at injection and along the energy ramp, this combination can eliminate the intrinsic and imperfection depolarizing resonances otherwise encountered during acceleration to maintain a high intensity polarized beam in medium energy synchrotrons. The observation of partial snake resonances of higher than second order will also be described.

A Reply to the Comment by S. Sadewasser and Th. Glatzel.

Two partial Siberian snakes were used to avoid all the spin imperfection and vertical intrinsic resonances in the alternating gradient synchrotron (AGS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. However, the horizontal betatron motion can cause polarization loss resulting from the nonvertical stable spin direction in the presence of two partial snakes. This type of resonance, called a horizontal intrinsic spin resonance, was observed and systematically studied in the AGS. A simplified analytic model and numerical simulation have been developed to compare with experimental data. Properties of the horizontal intrinsic resonance are discussed.

We present measurements of the electric potential fluctuations on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using electrostatic force and atomic force microscopy. Micrometric domainlike potential distributions are observed even when the sample is grounded. Such potential distributions are unexpected given the good metallic conductivity of graphite because the surface should be an equipotential. Our results indicate the coexistence of regions with “metalliclike” and “insulatinglike” behaviors showing large potential fluctuations of the order of 0.25 V. In lower quality graphite, this effect is not observed. Experiments are performed in Ar and air atmospheres.

The Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has been providing collisions of polarized protons at a beam energy of 100 GeV since 2001. Equipped with two full Siberian snakes in each ring, polarization is preserved during acceleration from injection to 100 GeV. However, the intrinsic spin resonances beyond 100 GeV are about a factor of 2 stronger than those below 100 GeV making it important to examine the impact of these strong intrinsic spin resonances on polarization survival and the tolerance for vertical orbit distortions. Polarized protons were first accelerated to the record energy of 205 GeV in RHIC with a significant polarization measured at top energy in 2005. This Letter presents the results and discusses the sensitivity of the polarization survival to orbit distortions.

We show that the formula of the strength of the spin resonance driven by a rf dipole in the commented paper is incorrect. A derivation of the resonance strength due to direct spin rotation from a rf dipole is shown. The result of a numerical simulation to verify our derivation is also presented.

Linear coupling’s action-angle parametrization is convenient for interpretation of turn-by-turn beam position monitor (BPM) data. We demonstrate how to apply this parametrization to extract Twiss and coupling parameters in interaction regions (IRs), using BPMs on each side of a long IR drift region. Example data were acquired at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, using an ac dipole to excite a single transverse eigenmode. We have measured the waist of the β function and its Twiss and coupling parameters.

Recently, resonance driving terms were successfully measured in the CERN SPS and the BNL RHIC from the Fourier spectrum of beam position monitor (BPM) data. Based on these measurements a new analysis has been derived to extract truly local observables from BPM data. These local observables are called local resonance terms since they share some similarities with the global resonance terms. In this paper we derive these local terms analytically and present experimental measurements of sextupolar global and local resonance terms in RHIC. Nondestructive measurements of these terms using ac dipoles are also presented.

An 11.4% partial Siberian snake was used to successfully accelerate polarized protons through a strong intrinsic depolarizing spin resonance in the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS). No noticeable depolarization was observed. This opens up the possibility of using a 20% to 30% partial Siberian snake in the AGS or other medium energy proton synchrotrons to overcome all weak and strong depolarizing spin resonances.

We have found strong visible photoluminescence (PL) from 0.4 nm carbon nanotubes embedded in the ordered channels of a zeolite crystal matrix. The PL exhibits a broad emission band with an efficiency of ∼1%–5%. Strong polarization dependence is observed both on the excitation and emission, indicating a preferential optical dipole along the axis of carbon nanotubes. By correlating with the absorption and Raman spectra, we identify (3,3) and (4,2) tubes to be responsible for the PL peaks at ∼2.6 and ∼1.7  eV, respectively.

A spin matching method to cure intrinsic coupled spin resonances in the AGS is proposed and explored using an extension of the existing DEPOL program algorithm. The extension of DEPOL to handle linear coupling in the polarized beam acceleration is documented. Data collected from recent polarized proton experiments in the AGS are compared with the predictions derived from the extended DEPOL program.

This paper presents experiments using an 800-nm pulsed laser and a streak camera with 2-ps resolution, which is implemented with a two-fiber differential measurements permitting a 0.2-ps resolution. With this technique, we measure the speed of the propagation of the surface plasmons. This velocity was found to be approximately (0.57±0.19)c, about 61% the value expected from simple theory (i.e., about 0.94c). The former result may clarify what is going on at the metal vacuum interface excitations, and has been measured by a direct method without the need for any theory.

The analyzing power for proton-carbon elastic scattering in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region of momentum transfer, 9.0×10^-3<-t<4.1×10^-2 (GeV/c)², was measured with a 21.7  GeV/c polarized proton beam at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory. The ratio of hadronic spin-flip to nonflip amplitude, r₅, was obtained from the analyzing power to be Rer₅=0.088±0.058 and Imr₅=-0.161±0.226.

The analyzing powers of π⁺ and π^- were measured using an incident 22-GeV/c transversely polarized proton beam at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. A magnetic spectrometer measured π^± inclusive asymmetries on a hydrogen and a carbon target. An elastic polarimeter with a CH₂ target measured pp elastic-scattering asymmetries to determine the beam polarization using published data for the pp elastic analyzing power. Using the beam polarization determined from the elastic polarimeter and asymmetries from the inclusive spectrometer, analyzing powers A_N for π^± were determined in the x_F and p_T ranges (0.45–0.8) and (0.3–1.2 GeV/c), respectively. The analyzing power results are similar in both sign and character to other measurements at 200 and 11.7 GeV/c, confirming the expectation that high-energy pion inclusive analyzing powers remain large and relatively energy independent. This suggests that pion inclusive polarimetry may be a suitable method for measuring future beam polarizations at BNL RHIC or DESY HERA. Analyzing powers of π⁺ and π^- produced on hydrogen and carbon targets are the same. Various models to explain inclusive analyzing powers are also discussed.

In order to further understand phenomena observed during studies of adiabatic excitation of longitudinal bunch shape oscillations [M. Bai et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 3, 064001 (2000)], we have developed a simulation using a one-turn map. In this report we will present the physical foundations for the simulation and the methods used in the simulator. We will present simulation results using parameters of actual experiments, along with the corresponding experimental results.

Response is made to J. A. MacLachlan's preceding Comment [Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 4, 017001 (2001)]. We are gratified to see that high quality simulations, as presented by MacLachlan, verify our experimental results.