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We present the results of a global QCD analysis of helicity parton distribution functions (PDFs) that includes the latest polarized W-lepton production data from the STAR collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). This data allows the first extraction of a nonzero helicity light-quark sea asymmetry within a simultaneous global QCD analysis of unpolarized and helicity PDFs.
The Bayesian reweighting procedure is applied for the first time to a TMD distribution, the quark Sivers function extracted from SIDIS data. By exploiting the recent published single spin asymmetry data for the inclusive jet production in p^\uparrow p p ↑ p collisions from the STAR collaboration at RHIC, we show how such a procedure allows to incorporate the information contained in the new data set, without the need of re-fitting, and to explore a much wider x x region compared to SIDIS measurements. The reweighting method is also extended to the case of asymmetric errors, and the results show a significant improvement on the knowledge of the quark Sivers function.
The STAR Collaboration reports measurements of back-to-back azimuthal correlations of di- \pi^0 π 0 produced at forward pseudorapidity ( 2.6<\eta<4.0 2.6 < η < 4.0 ) in p+ p + p p , p+ p + \mathrm{Al} A l and p+ p + \mathrm{Au} A u collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon pair of 200 GeV. A clear suppression of the correlated away-side yields is observed in p+ p + \mathrm{Au} A u and for the first time in p+ p + \mathrm{Al} A l collisions, compared with the p p + + p p data. The enhanced suppression found in p+ p + \mathrm{Au} A u with respect to p+ p + \mathrm{Al} A l collisions exhibits the saturation scale ( Q_s^2 Q s 2 ) dependence on the mass number A A . The observed suppression of back-to-back pairs as a function of event activity and transverse momentum points to non-linear gluon dynamics arising at high parton densities.
The STAR collaboration presents measurements of semi-inclusive distributions of charged jets recoiling from high transverse energy (E T ) direct photon and π 0 triggers in p+p and central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200$ GeV. Jets are reconstructed from charged particles using the anti-k T algorithm with jet resolution parameters R = 0.2 and 0.5. The large uncorrelated background in central Au+Au collisions is corrected using a mixed-event technique. This enables a jet measurement extending to low transverse momentum and large R with well-controlled systematic uncertainties. We present measurements of the jet R dependence of suppression, intra-jet broadening, and acoplanarity of π 0 +jet and γ dir +jet for trigger E T between 9–20 GeV.
The STAR Collaboration presents measurements of semi-inclusive distributions of charged jets recoiling from high transverse energy ($E_T$) direct photon and $π^0$ triggers in $p+p$ and central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{sNN}$=200 GeV. Jets are reconstructed from charged particles using the anti-$k_T$ algorithm with jet resolution parameters R=0.2 and 0.5. The large uncorrelated background in central Au+Au collisions is corrected using a mixed-event technique. This enables a jet measurement extending to low transverse momentum and large R with well-controlled systematic uncertainties. We present measurements of the jet R dependence of suppression, intra-jet broadening, and acoplanarity of $π^0$+jet and $γ_{dir}$+jet for trigger $E_T (E_{T}^{trig})$ between 9–20 GeV.
In this overview talk, I have represented STAR to highlight the results of 19 parallels talks and 38 posters at this Quark Matter Conference. Overall, the contents have 8 major categories: 1. experimental measurements related to the BreitWheeler process and vacuum birefringence; 2. probes of initial states of heavy-ion collisions (parton distribution function and azimuthal correlations in small systems); 3. constraints on temperature-dependent viscosity (η/s(T)) with multiple flow harmonics and rapidity correlations; 4. hard probes using jet structures and heavy flavors; 5. exploration of the origin of global polarization and vorticity; 6. chiral and thermal properties of the QGP; 7. Beam Energy Scan (BES) and the critical point search; 8. upgrades and summary.
The polarization of Λ, $\overline{Λ}$, $Ξ$ – , and $\overline{Ξ}$ + hyperons along the angular momentum of the system has been measured in isobar collisions of Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV with the STAR detector at RHIC. The polarization dependence on collision centrality exhibits an increasing trend in more peripheral collisions. Λ and $\overline{Λ}$ polarization dependence on the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity have been investigated, but no significant dependence was observed. The polarizations of Λ and $\overline{Λ}$ are found to be consistent with each other, indicating little contribution of the spin-magnetic coupling to the measured polarization. Comparison to previously measured polarization in Au+Au collisions show no obvious system size dependence. The results are qualitatively consistent with hydrodynamic calculations including contributions from shear-induced polarization and thermal vorticity. For the first time in heavy-ion collisions, the dependence of the global polarization on the hyperon’s emission azimuthal angle relative to the second-order event plane has been measured, indicating stronger polarization for the in-plane emitted hyperons at the level of 2.4 σ significance in 20–50 % centrality. The $Ξ$ hyperon polarization measurements via polarization transfer analysis yield finite positive values with 2.9 σ significance in 20–50 % centrality, slightly larger compared to the inclusive Λ polarization.
Rapidity-odd directed flow v 1 measurements are presented for $K^±$ and $K^0_S$ in Au + Au collisions for $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ from 3.0 to 3.9 GeV with the STAR experiment. For comparison, v 1 of π ± , protons, and Λ from the same collisions are also discussed. The mid-rapidity v 1 slope dv 1 /dy| y=0 for protons and Λ is positive in these collisions. On the other hand, v 1 slope of kaons exhibits a strong dependence: negative at p T < 0.6 GeV/c and positive at higher p T . A similar p T dependence is also evident for the v 1 slope of charged pions. Compared to the spectator-removed calculations in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3.0–3.9 GeV, the JAM model demonstrates a pronounced shift of the v 1 slopes of mesons towards the negative direction. It suggests that the shadowing effect of the spectators plays an important role in the observed kaon anti-flow at low p T in the high baryon density region of non-central collisions.
The correlation between the mean transverse momentum, [ p T ], and the squared anisotropic flow, $v^2_n$, on an event-by-event basis has been suggested to be influenced by the initial conditions in heavy-ion collisions. We present measurements of the variances and covariance of [ p T ] and $v^2_n$, along with their dimensionless ratio, for Au+Au collisions at various beam energies: $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 14.6, 19.6, 27, 54.4, and 200 GeV. Our measurements reveal a distinct energy-dependent behavior in the variances and covariances. In addition, the dimensionless ratio displays a similar behavior across different beam energies. We compare our measurements with hydrodynamic models and similar measurements from Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These findings provide valuable insights into the beam energy dependence of the specific shear viscosity ( η/s ) and initial-state effects, allowing for differentiating between different initial-state models.
A precision measurement of the $K^{⁎0}$ meson yield is reported in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7, 11.5, 14.6, 19.6, and 27 GeV using the high-statistics data sample collected by the STAR experiment during the Beam Energy Scan II (BES-II) program at RHIC. The transeverse momentum (p T )-integrated yield ratios $\large{(}K^{⁎0} + \overline{K^{⁎0}}\large{)}/(K^+ + K^{-})$ in central collisions show a suppression relative to peripheral collisions at the (1.7–3.6) σ level, while a thermal model without final-stage rescattering overpredicts this ratio with a deviation of (6.9–8.2) σ. These results indicate a loss of the measured $K^{⁎0}$ signal in central collisions due to re-scattering of its hadronic decay products in the hadronic phase. The p T -integrated yield of charged kaons exhibits an approximate scaling with charged-particle multiplicity, independent of collision energy and system size. A similar trend is observed for the short-lived $K^{⁎0}$ resonance, although significant deviations emerge at lower energies. At BES energies, the $K^{⁎0}/K$ ratio shows stronger suppression than at the highest RHIC and LHC energies within a given multiplicity bin, particularly in central and mid-central collisions. This behavior is consistent with changes in the effective hadronic interaction cross section and is supported by transport model calculations, which indicate dominant meson–baryon interactions at lower energies and meson–meson interactions at higher energies.
This article presents measurements of inclusive J/ψ production at midrapidity (|y| < 1.0) in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}$ = 54.4 GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A suppression of the J/ψ yield, quantified using the nuclear modification factors (R AA , R CP ), is observed with respect to the scaled production p + p in collisions. The dependence of R AA on collision centrality and J/ψ transverse momentum is measured with improved precision compared to previous measurements at 39 and 62.4 GeV, while the centrality dependence of R CP is measured and compared to the same results at 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV. In central collisions, no significant collision energy dependence of R AA is found within uncertainties for collision energies between 17.3 and 200 GeV. Two transport model calculations that include dissociation and regeneration contributions are consistent with the experimental results within uncertainties. Although no significant collision energy dependence of the J/ψ suppression in high energy heavy-ion collisions up to $\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV is observed within uncertainties, the newly measured results at 54.4 GeV Au+Au collisions provide additional constraints on theoretical calculations of the hot medium evolution and cold nuclear matter effects.
In a Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), the fundamental building blocks of matter, quarks and gluons, are under extreme conditions of temperature and density. A QGP could exist in the early stages of the Universe, and in various objects and events in the cosmos. The thermodynamic and hydrodynamic properties of the QGP are described by Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) and can be studied in heavy-ion collisions. Despite being a key thermodynamic parameter, the QGP temperature is still poorly known. Thermal lepton pairs (e + e − and μ + μ − ) are ideal penetrating probes of the true temperature of the emitting source, since their invariant-mass spectra suffer neither from strong final-state interactions nor from blue-shift effects due to rapid expansion. Here we measure the QGP temperature using thermal e+e− production at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The average temperature from the low-mass region (in-medium ρ 0 vector-meson dominant) is (2.01 ± 0.23) × 10 12 K, consistent with the chemical freeze-out temperature from statistical models and the phase transition temperature from Lattice QCD. The average temperature from the intermediate mass region (above the ρ0 mass, QGP dominant) is significantly higher at (3.25 ± 0.60) × 10 12 K. This work provides essential experimental thermodynamic measurements to map out the QCD phase diagram and understand the properties of matter under extreme conditions.
The vacuum is now understood to have a rich and complex structure, characterized by fluctuating energy fields and a condensate of virtual quark–antiquark pairs. The spontaneous breaking of the approximate chiral symmetry, signalled by the nonvanishing quark condensate $\langle$$q\bar{q}$$\rangle$, is dynamically generated through topologically nontrivial gauge configurations such as instantons. The precise mechanism linking the chiral symmetry breaking to the mass generation associated with quark confinement remains a profound open question in quantum chromodynamics (QCD)—the fundamental theory of strong interaction. High-energy proton–proton collisions could liberate virtual quark–antiquark pairs from the vacuum that subsequently undergo confinement to form hadrons, whose properties could serve as probes into QCD confinement and the quark condensate. Here we report evidence of spin correlations in $Λ\bar{Λ}$ hyperon pairs inherited from spin-correlated strange quark–antiquark virtual pairs. Measurements by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory reveal a relative polarization signal of (18 ± 4)% that links the virtual spin-correlated quark pairs from the QCD vacuum to their final-state hadron counterparts. Crucially, this correlation vanishes when the hyperon pairs are widely separated in angle, consistent with the decoherence of the quantum system. Our findings provide a new experimental model for exploring the dynamics and interplay of quark confinement and entanglement.
We highlight the STAR experiment’s recent measurements on electromagnetic and hard probes of nuclear collisions, which inform the field’s understanding of these physical phenomena and by extension QCD. Results on vector meson production from the high electromagnetic fields in glancing heavy-ion collisions are presented. Observables related to jets, high-momentum hadrons, heavy quarks and quarkonia in vacuum and their modification in head-on heavy-ion collisions are also presented. Studies using electromagnetic probes of the medium created in these collisions are presented as well. Finally, we conclude and give an outlook for STAR data-taking and measurements in the coming years.
Abstract In the first days of WZ Sge-type dwarf nova (DN) outbursts, the 2 : 1 resonance induces a spiral arm structure in the accretion disk, which is observed as early superhumps in optical light curves. We reports on our optical observations of an eclipsing WZ Sge-type DN PNV J00444033+4113068 during its 2021 superoutburst using the 3.8 m Seimei telescope and through the Variable Star Network collaboration. The eclipse analysis showed that its orbital period was 0.055425534(1) d. Our observations confirmed early superhumps with an amplitude of 0.7 mag, the largest amplitude among known WZ Sge-type DNe. More interestingly, its early superhumps became the reddest around their secondary minimum, whereas other WZ Sge-type DNe show the reddest color around the early superhump maximum. The spectrum around the peak of the outburst showed two double-peaked emission lines of He ii 4686 Å and Hα with a peak separation of ≥700 km s−1, supporting a very high-inclination system. With the early superhump mapping, the unique profile and color of the early superhump are successfully reproduced by an accretion disk with a vertically extended double arm structure. Therefore, a large amplitude and a unique color behavior of the early superhumps in PNV J00444033+4113068 can be explained by the 2 : 1 resonance model along with other WZ Sge-type DNe.
Here, we present results on the production of 𝜋±, 𝐾±, 𝑝, and $\bar{𝑝}$ in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠_{NN}}$ = 54.4~GeV using the STAR detector at RHIC, at mid-rapidity (|𝑦|< 0.1). Invariant yields of these particles as a function of transverse momentum are shown. We determine bulk properties such as integrated particle yields (𝑑 𝑁 /𝑑 𝑦 ), mean transverse momentum (⟨𝑝 𝑇 ⟩), particle ratios, which provide insight into the particle production mechanisms. Additionally, the kinetic freeze-out parameters (𝑇 kin and ⟨𝛽 𝑇 ⟩), which provide information about the dynamics of the system at the time of freeze-out, are obtained. The Bjorken energy density (𝜖 𝐵𝐽 ), which gives an estimate of the energy density in the central rapidity region of the collision zone at the formation time 𝜏, is calculated and presented as a function of multiplicity for various energies. The results are compared with those from the models such as A Multi-Phase Transport (AMPT) and Heavy Ion Jet INteraction Generator (HIJING) for further insights.
Measurements of the variation of anisotropic flow-plane angles (𝛹 𝑛 ) with rapidity, commonly known as the flow-plane decorrelation, provide important insights into the initial conditions of the matter produced in heavy-ion collisions. Here, in this paper, using data collected by the STAR experiment, we report the first measurement of the four-plane correlator observable 𝑇 𝑛 {𝑏𝑎;𝑑𝑐}=⟨⟨sin[𝑛(𝛹$^𝑏_𝑛$ − 𝛹$^𝑎_𝑛$)]sin[𝑛(𝛹$^𝑑_𝑛$ − 𝛹$^𝑐_𝑛$)]⟩⟩, where superscripts 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, and 𝑑 denote sequential pseudorapidity (𝜂) regions with 𝑎 corresponding to the most backward region, 𝑏 and 𝑐 close to mid-rapidity with 𝜂 𝑏 < 0 and 𝜂 𝑐 > 0, and 𝑑 being the most forward. The measurement is performed for the elliptic and triangular flow (i.e.~𝑛 = 2 and 3) in Au+Au and isobar (Ru+Ru, Zr+Zr) collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=200~GeV. The goal of calculating the correlation of the flow-plane angle variations from backward to mid-central, and from mid-central to forward regions, is to probe the systematic variation of flow angle over a wide 𝜂 range. In mid-central collisions (10−30% centrality), we find 𝑇 2 {𝑏𝑎;𝑑𝑐} =−0.004 ±0.001(stat) ±0.002(syst) independent of the collision system. Such a small value of 𝑇 2 favors a random-walk'' variation of the flow-plane angles, where the rapidity correlation length is smaller than the entire region under study. These measurements provide new information on the decorrelation patterns in the system and offer a quantitative estimate of possible systematic variations in anisotropic flow angles such astwist’’ between forward and backward regions. This opens new opportunities for understanding the three-dimensional structure and the time evolution of the quark-gluon plasma created in heavy-ion collisions.
We report the differential yields at mid-rapidity of the Breit-Wheeler process (𝛾𝛾 → 𝑒 + 𝑒 − ) in peripheral Au+Aucollisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 54.4 and 200 GeV with the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), as a function of energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$, 𝑒 + 𝑒 − transverse momentum 𝑝 T , 𝑝$^{2}_{T}$, invariant mass 𝑀 𝑒𝑒 , and azimuthal angle. In the invariant mass range of 0.4 < 𝑀 𝑒𝑒 < 2.6GeV/𝑐 2 at low transverse momentum (𝑝 T < 0.15GeV/𝑐), the yields increase while the pair √⟨𝑝$^{2}_{T}$⟩ decreases with increasing $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$, a feature that is correctly predicted by the QED calculation. Here, the energy dependencies of the measured quantities are sensitive to the nuclear form factor, infrared divergence and photon polarization. The data are compiled and used to extract the charge radius of the Au nucleus.