Understanding the J/psi Production Mechanism at PHENIX
Abstract
The large mass of the charm quark, along with the abundance of J/psi mesons observed from proton-proton collisions at PHENIX, allow for new measurements which are sensitive to basic properties of QCD. Two measurements are presented in this document: a transverse single-spin asymmetry (SSA) of J/psi production and the angular distribution for decay leptons in various reference frames. The decay distribution is directly sensitive to the J/psi production mechanism, while the transverse SSA is also sensitive to the distribution of gluons in a transversely polarized proton. Taken together, the two measurements provide a wealth of information about the formation of a J/psi meson.
- Publication:
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Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010PhDT.......191K
- Keywords:
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- Physics, Nuclear;Physics, Elementary Particles and High Energy