Strangeness production in PHENIX experiment

The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has measured production of K^±, K_s, K^* and ϕmesons in p+p, d+Au, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at √^s_NN = 62.4 and 200 GeV. While p+p collisions provide a baseline and are used for precision tests of pQCD calculations, for heavier colliding systems such as d+Au, Cu+Cu and Au+Au nuclear modification factors are studied at different centralities. These systematic studies enrich current understanding of the strange meson production and its difference from light quark hadrons. The role of radial flow and coalescence in particle production is discussed.