Centrality dependence of low-momentum direct-photon production in Au + Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV
The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has measured the centrality dependence of the direct photon yield from Au+Au collisions at √s NN = 200 GeV down to p T = 0.4 GeV/c. Photons are detected via photon conversions to e⁺e⁻ pairs and an improved technique is applied that minimizes the systematic uncertainties that usually limit direct photon measurements, in particular at low p T . We find an excess of direct photons above the N coll -scaled yield measured in p+p collisions. This excess yield is well described by an exponential distribution with an inverse slope of about 240 MeV/c in the p T range from 0.6–2.0 GeV/c. In this study, while the shape of the p T distribution is independent of centrality within the experimental uncertainties, the yield increases rapidly with increasing centrality, scaling approximately with N α part , where α = 1.38±0.03(stat)±0.07(syst).