(Strange) meson interferometry at RHIC

We make predictions for the kaon interferometry measurements in Au+Au collisions at the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC). A first-order phase transition from a thermalized quark-gluon plasma (QGP) to a gas of hadrons is assumed for the transport calculations. The fraction of kaons that are directly emitted from the phase boundary is considerably enhanced at large transverse momenta KT ∼ 1 GeV/c. In this kinematic region, the sensitivity of the Rout/Aside ratio to the QGP properties is enlarged. The results of the one-dimensional correlation analysis are presented. The extracted interferometry radii, depending on KT, are not unusually large and are strongly affected by finite momentum resolution effects.

Duke Scholars

Author Steffen A. Bass Physics