Centrality Dependence of pi^0 and eta Production at Large Transverse Momentum in sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV d+Au Collisions

Abstract

The dependence of transverse momentum spectra of neutral pions and eta mesons with p_T <16 GeV/c and p_T < 12 GeV/c, respectively, on the centrality of the collision has been measured at mid-rapidity by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC in d+Au collisions at sqrt(s_(NN)) = 200 GeV. The measured yields are compared to those in p + p collisions at the same sqrt(s_(NN)) scaled by the number of underlying nucleon-nucleon collisions in d+Au. At all centralities the yield ratios show no suppression, in contrast to the strong suppression seen for central Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Only a weak p_T and centrality dependence can be observed.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Top: invariant yields at mid-rapidity for $\pi^0$ (left) and $\eta$ (right) in $d$+Au collisions as a function of $p_\mathrm{T}\,$ for different selections of the centrality of the collision. Bottom: invariant cross section at mid-rapidity for $\pi^0$ (left) and $\eta$ (right) in $p+p$ and $d$+Au collisions as a function of $p_\mathrm{T}\,$.
• Figure 2: Nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm{dA}}$ for $\pi^0$ and $\eta$ in different centrality selections and min. bias data. The bands around the data points show systematic errors which can vary with $p_\mathrm{T}\,$. The shaded bands around unity indicate the $\langle T_{AB}\rangle$ uncertainty and the small bands on the left side of the data points indicate the normalization uncertainty due to the $p+p$ reference.