Spin Alignment Measurements of the K*(0)(892) and phi(1020) Vector Mesons in Heavy Ion Collisions at Root S-NN=200 GeV
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2008
Abstract
We present the first spin alignment measurements for the K*(0)(892) and phi(1020) vector mesons produced at midrapidity with transverse momenta up to 5 GeV/c at root s(NN) = 200 GeV at RHIC. The diagonal spin-density matrix elements with respect to the reaction plane in Au+Au collisions are rho(00) = 0.32 +/- 0.04 (stat) +/- 0.09 (syst) for the K*(0) (0.8 < p(T) < 5.0 GeV/c) and rho(00) = 0.34 +/- 0.02 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) for the phi (0.4 < p(T) < 5.0 GeV/c) and are constant with transverse momentum and collision centrality. The data are consistent with the unpolarized expectation of 1/3 and thus no evidence is found for the transfer of the orbital angular momentum of the colliding system to the vector-meson spins. Spin alignments for K-*0 and phi in Au+Au collisions were also measured with respect to the particle's production plane. The phi result, rho(00) = 0.41 +/- 0.02 (stat) +/- 0.04 (syst), is consistent with that in p+p collisions, rho(00) = 0.39 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.06 (syst), also measured in this work. The measurements thus constrain the possible size of polarization phenomena in the production dynamics of vector mesons.
Recommended Citation
Grosnick, David; Koetke, Donald D.; Manweiler, Robert; Stanislaus, Shirvel; Webb, J. C.; and STAR Collaboration, "Spin Alignment Measurements of the K*(0)(892) and phi(1020) Vector Mesons in Heavy Ion Collisions at Root S-NN=200 GeV" (2008). Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications. 85.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/phys_astro_fac_pub/85
