Title
Generating Monte Carlo Data to Study the Backgrounds in π0 production in p+p collisions at RHIC
Faculty Sponsor
Shirvel Stanislaus
College
Arts and Sciences
Department/Program
Physics and Astronomy
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Summer 7-30-2018
Abstract
Generating Monte Carlo Data to Study the Backgrounds in π0 production in p+p collisions at RHIC
J.D. Snaidauf
Valparaiso University (STAR Collaboration)
Mentor: Prof. Stanislaus
The Solenoid Tracker at RHIC (STAR) experiment based at Brookhaven National Laboratory uses polarized p+p collisions to study the contributions of gluons to the spin of the proton. The STAR detectorβs Endcap Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EEMC) covers a kinematic region of the detector that is sensitive to gluons carrying a low fraction of the proton momentum, where the gluon spin contribution is almost entirely unconstrained. The EEMC, located in the intermediate pseudorapidity range 1 < Ξ· < 2, measures the electromagnetic energy of particles produced in the collisions using a spatially segmented lead-scintillator sampling calorimeter. The gluon contribution can be determined by studying the π0 production from p+p collisions with different orientations of the spins of the colliding protons. π0βs are reconstructed using the energy deposited by the decay photons in the EEMC. The background under the π0 mass peak is determined using Monte Carlo generated data that is normalized to diphoton candidates outside the mass peak in the experimental data. The status of this effort will be reported.
Recommended Citation
Snaidauf, Joseph, "Generating Monte Carlo Data to Study the Backgrounds in π0 production in p+p collisions at RHIC" (2018). Summer Interdisciplinary Research Symposium. 30.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/sires/30
Biographical Information about Author(s)
After having a successful academic year at Valpo, I wanted to do some research. I chose to do it because I believed it would be beneficial towards my understanding of physics and my ability to teach the subject in the future. I was correct. This summer has been extremely helpful to me in terms of learning new things about physics and helping me to instruct future students.