Degree Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2013
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Physics and Astronomy
First Advisor
Craig Ogilvie
Abstract
The measurement of the nuclear modification factor RAA and azimuthal anisotropy v2 of single electrons from semi-leptonic decay of open heavy flavor mesons in the PHENIX experiment has provided important insight into the properties of the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP). PHENIX results of RAA and v2 in Au + Au collision at sqrt(sNN) = 200 GeV for heavy-flavor decays are comparable to the results of light hadrons. This indicates that both the flow and the energy loss characteristics in heavy quarks are similar as in light quarks, which is not well understood. We have extended the PHENIX systematic study of the invariant yield and azimuthal anisotropy of heavy flavor electrons by reducing the beam energy to sqrt(sNN) = 62.4 GeV. At this energy, the medium formed in Au + Au collisions is expected to have a lower energy density. A large Cronin enhancement is observed in the yield of heavy flavor electrons at this lower energy. There is a hint of heavy flavor suppression in the most central collisions at pt larger than 3 GeV/c. We will also show that non-zero v2 of heavy flavor electrons is observed in the mid centrality events.
Copyright Owner
Lei Ding
Copyright Date
2013
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
161 pages
Recommended Citation
Ding, Lei, "Measurement of heavy flavor electron flow in Au + Au collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 62.4 GeV" (2013). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 13427.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/13427
