The measurement of direct photons from Au+Au collisions at √sNN=39 and 62.4 GeV in the transverse-momentum range 0.4

The PHENIX collaboration presents first measurements of low-momentum (0.41 GeV/c) direct-photon yield dN_{γ}^{dir}/dη is a smooth function of dN_{ch}/dη and can be well described as proportional to (dN_{ch}/dη)^{α} with α≈1.25. This scaling behavior holds for a wide range of beam energies at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider, for centrality selected samples, as well as for different A+A collision systems. At a given beam energy, the scaling also holds for high p_{T} (>5 GeV/c), but when results from different collision energies are compared, an additional sqrt[s_{NN}]-dependent multiplicative factor is needed to describe the integrated-direct-photon yield.

Measurements of midrapidity charged-particle multiplicity distributions, dN(ch)/d eta, and midrapidity transverse-energy distributions, dE(T)/d eta, are presented for a variety of collision systems and energies. Included are distributions for Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200, 130, 62.4, 39, 27, 19.6, 14.5, and 7.7 GeV, Cu + Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 200 and 62.4 GeV, Cu + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, U + U collisions at root s(NN) = 193 GeV, d + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, He-3 + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, and p + p collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. Centrality-dependent distributions at midrapidity are presented in terms of the number of nucleon participants, N-part, and the number of constituent quark participants, N-qp. For all A + A collisions down to root s(NN) = 7.7 GeV, it is observed that the midrapidity data are better described by scaling with N-qp than scaling with N-part. Also presented are estimates of the Bjorken energy density, epsilon(BJ), and the ratio of dE(T)/d eta to dN(ch)/d eta, the latter of which is seen to be constant as a function of centrality for all systems.

We have studied the dependence of azimuthal anisotropy nu(2) for inclusive and identified charged hadrons in Au + Au and Cu + Cu collisions on collision energy, species, and centrality. The values of nu(2) as a function of transverse momentum pT and centrality in Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 and 62.4 GeV are the same within uncertainties. However, in Cu + Cu collisions we observe a decrease in nu(2) values as the collision energy is reduced from 200 to 62.4 GeV. The decrease is larger in the more peripheral collisions. By examining both Au + Au and Cu + Cu collisions we find that nu(2) depends both on eccentricity and the number of participants, N-part. We observe that nu(2) divided by eccentricity (epsilon) monotonically increases with N-part and scales as N-part(1/3). The Cu + Cu data at 62.4 GeV falls below the other scaled nu(2) data. For identified hadrons, nu(2) divided by the number of constituent quarks n(q) is independent of hadron species as a function of transverse kinetic energy K E-T = m(T) - m between 0.1 < K E-T / n(q) < 1 GeV. Combining all of the above scaling and normalizations, we observe a near-universal scaling, with the exception of the Cu + Cu data at 62.4 GeV, of nu(2)/(nq center dot e center dot N-part(1/3)) vs K E-T / n(q) for all measured particles.

Measurements of the midrapidity transverse-energy distribution, dE(T)/d eta, are presented for p + p, d+Au, and Au+Au collisions atv root s(NN) = 200 GeV and additionally for Au+Au collisions atv root s(NN) = 62.4 and 130 GeV. The dE(T)/d eta distributions are first compared with the number of nucleon participants N-part, number of binary collisions N-coll, and number of constituent-quark participants N-qp calculated from a Glauber model based on the nuclear geometry. For Au+Au, < dE(T)/d eta >/N-part increases with N-part, while < dE(T)/d eta >/N-qp is approximately constant for all three energies. This indicates that the two-component ansatz, dE(T)/d eta alpha (1 - x)N-part/2 + xN(coll), which was used to represent E-T distributions, is simply a proxy for N-qp, and that the N-coll term does not represent a hard-scattering component in E-T distributions. The dE(T)/d eta distributions of Au+Au and d+Au are then calculated from the measured p + p E-T distribution using two models that both reproduce the Au+Au data. However, while the number-of-constituent-quark-participant model agrees well with the d+Au data, the additive-quark model does not.

The emission of pions from relativistic heavy-ion collisions of S+S, S+Ag and S+Pb at 200 GeV/nucleon is characterized using two-particle interferometry. The multiplicity dependence of the pion source parameters near midrapidity is studied. The transversal ( R t ) and longitudinal ( R l ) pion source parameters are independent of the initial nuclei in the interaction and increase with increasing multiplicity. This suggests that the freeze-out process is governed mainly by the particle multiplicity. The multiplicity dependence is weaker than that expected from a simple model of a freeze-out at a constant density.

Measurements of the midrapidity transverse energy distribution, $d\Et/d\eta$, are presented for $p$$+$$p$, $d$$+$Au, and Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV and additionally for Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=62.4$ and 130 GeV. The $d\Et/d\eta$ distributions are first compared with the number of nucleon participants $N_{\rm part}$, number of binary collisions $N_{\rm coll}$, and number of constituent-quark participants $N_{qp}$ calculated from a Glauber model based on the nuclear geometry. For Au$+$Au, $\mean{d\Et/d\eta}/N_{\rm part}$ increases with $N_{\rm part}$, while $\mean{d\Et/d\eta}/N_{qp}$ is approximately constant for all three energies. This indicates that the two component ansatz, $dE_{T}/d\eta \propto (1-x) N_{\rm part}/2 + x N_{\rm coll}$, which has been used to represent $E_T$ distributions, is simply a proxy for $N_{qp}$, and that the $N_{\rm coll}$ term does not represent a hard-scattering component in $E_T$ distributions. The $dE_{T}/d\eta$ distributions of Au$+$Au and $d$$+$Au are then calculated from the measured $p$$+$$p$ $E_T$ distribution using two models that both reproduce the Au$+$Au data. However, while the number-of-constituent-quark-participant model agrees well with the $d$$+$Au data, the additive-quark model does not.