Suppression of Υ{hooked} production in d + Au and Au + Au collisions at sNN=200GeV

We report measurements of Υ{hooked} meson production in p + p, d + Au, and Au + Au collisions using the STAR detector at RHIC. We compare the Υ{hooked} yield to the measured cross section in p + p collisions in order to quantify any modifications of the yield in cold nuclear matter using d + Au data and in hot nuclear matter using Au + Au data separated into three centrality classes. Our p + p measurement is based on three times the statistics of our previous result. We obtain a nuclear modification factor for Υ{hooked}(1S + 2S + 3S) in the rapidity range |y| < 1 in d + Au collisions of R dAu = 0.79 ± 0.24(stat.) ± 0.03(syst.) ± 0.10(p + psyst.). A comparison with models including shadowing and initial state parton energy loss indicates the presence of additional cold-nuclear matter suppression. Similarly, in the top 10% most-central Au + Au collisions, we measure a nuclear modification factor of R A A = 0.49 ± 0.1(stat.) ± 0.02(syst.) ± 0.06(p + p syst.), which is a larger suppression factor than that seen in cold nuclear matter. Our results are consistent with complete suppression of excited-state Υ{hooked} mesons in Au + Au collisions. The additional suppression in Au + Au is consistent with the level expected in model calculations that include the presence of a hot, deconfined Quark-Gluon Plasma. However, understanding the suppression seen in d + Au is still needed before any definitive statements about the nature of the suppression in Au + Au can be made. © 2014.

Duke Scholars

Author Anselm G. Vossen Physics