φ meson production in Au+Au and d+Au collisions at √s_NN = 200 GeV
Abstract
The φ meson is expected to be a significant probe for studying the hot and dense matter created in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The measurement of the φ meson line shape is a powerful tool to search for in-medium modifications of vector meson properties (mass and/or width) as chiral symmetry restoration is approached. Consisting of a sbars pair, the φ meson can be used to probe strangeness production. In order to distinguish the medium effects and strangeness production between hot and cold nuclear matter, it is important to measure φ mesons in Au+Au and d+Au colliding systems. We shall present the latest results of φ meson production in the K^+K^- channel detected by the PHENIX central arm spectrometer in d+Au collisions. The PHENIX central arm spectrometer provides particle identification with high resolution Time-of-Flight and large acceptance Electromagnetic Calorimeter modules. The combination of these two detector systems provides a sizable φ meson statistics sample at different collision centralities. The analysis status of the φ measurements at different system sizes will be presented. Finally, a comparison of the φ meson yield in d+Au and Au+Au collisions at √s_NN = 200 GeV will be made.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Nuclear Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004APS..DNP.JB002P