Harmonic decomposition of three-particle azimuthal correlations at energies available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
Abstract
We present measurements of three-particle correlations for various harmonics in Au+Au collisions at energies ranging from √{sNN}=7.7 to 200 GeV using the STAR detector. The quantity <cos(m ϕ1+n ϕ2-(m +n ) ϕ3) > , with ϕ being the azimuthal angles of the particles is evaluated as a function of √{sNN}, collision centrality, transverse momentum, pT, pseudorapidity difference, Δ η , and harmonics (m and n ). These data provide detailed information on global event properties such as the three-dimensional structure of the initial overlap region, the expansion dynamics of the matter produced in the collisions, and the transport properties of the medium. A strong dependence on Δ η is observed for most harmonic combinations, which is consistent with breaking of longitudinal boost invariance. An interesting energy dependence is observed when one of the harmonics m ,n , or m +n is equal to two, for which the correlators are dominated by the two-particle correlations relative to the second-harmonic event plane. These measurements can be used to constrain models of heavy-ion collisions over a wide range of temperature and baryon chemical potential.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review C
- Pub Date:
- September 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevC.98.034918
- Bibcode:
- 2018PhRvC..98c4918A