We present the preliminary results of Experiment 864's search for antideuterons in 11.5 GeV/c per nucleon Au + Pt collisions at the AGS. The data represents 14 billion 10% central interactions selectively triggered for events with high mass candidates. Antideuteron invariant yields are found to be 3.5 ± 1.5( stat. ) +0.9 −0.5 ( sys. ) × 10 −8 GeV −2 c 2 in the rapidity range between y = 1.8 and 2.2 ( y cm = 1.6) for 〈 p t 〉= 0.35 GeV/c and 3.7±2.7( stat. ) +1.4 −1.5 ( sys. ) × 10 −8 GeV −2 c 2 between rapidities y = 1.4 and 1.8 at 〈 p t 〉= 0.26 GeV/c. These yields, along with E864 antiproton measurements, lead to a most probable value for the coalescence factor B 2 of 4.1 ± 2.9( stat. ) +2.3 −2.4 ( sys. ) × 10 −3 GeV −2 c 3 after correcting antiproton yields for antihyperon feeddown contributions. Implications for the coalescence model and antimatter annihilation from an antideuteron measurement are also discussed.
No description provided.
PRELIMINARY DATA.
We report on a search for metastable positively and negatively charged states of strange quark matter in Au+Pb reactions at 11.6 A GeV/c in experiment E864. We have sampled approximately six billion 10% most central Au+Pb interactions and have observed no strangelet states (baryon number A < 100 droplets of strange quark matter). We thus set upper limits on the production of these exotic states at the level of 1-6 x 10^{-8} per central collision. These limits are the best and most model independent for this colliding system. We discuss the implications of our results on strangelet production mechanisms, and also on the stability question of strange quark matter.
ABOUT SIX BILLION 10% MOST CENTRAL INTERACTIONS.
We report on measurements by the E864 experiment at the BNL-AGS of the yields of light nuclei in collisions of Au(197) with beam momentum of 11.5 A GeV/c on targets of Pb(208) and Pt(197). The yields are reported for nuclei with baryon number A=1 up to A=7, and typically cover a rapidity range from y(cm) to y(cm)+1 and a transverse momentum range of approximately 0.1 < p(T)/A < 0.5 GeV/c. We calculate coalescence scale factors B(A) from which we extract model dependent source dimensions and collective flow velocities. We also examine the dependences of the yields on baryon number, spin, and isospin of the produced nuclei.
10 pct most central collisions.
10 to 38 pct most central collisions.
38 to 66 pct most central collisions.
We present measurements from Brookhaven Experiment 864 of neutron invariant multiplicity in 11.5 A GeV/c Au+Pb collisions. The measurements span a rapidity range from center-of-mass to beam rapidity (y(beam)=3.2) and are presented as a function of event centrality. The results are compared with E864 measurements of proton invariant multiplicity and an average n/p ratio at hadronic freeze-out of 1.19+-.08 is determined for the rapidity range y=1.6 to y=2.4. We discuss briefly the implications of this ratio within a simple equilibrium model of the collision system.
The errors are statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature. 10% most central events.
We present results from Experiment 864 for antiproton production and antideuteron limits in Au + Pb collisions at 11.5 GeV/c per nucleon. We have measured invariant multiplicities for antiprotons for rapidities 1.4<y<2.4 at low transverse momentum as a function of collision geometry. When compared with the results from Experiment 878 our measurements suggest a significant contribution to the measured antiproton yield from the decay of strange antibaryons. We have also searched for antideuterons and see no statistically significant signal. Thus, we set upper limits on the production at approximately 3 x 10^{-7} per 10% highest multiplicity Au + Pb interaction.
CENTRALITY = 10 PCT.
CENTRALITY = 100 TO 70 PCT.
CENTRALITY = 70 TO 30 PCT.
We present the final results from Experiment 864 of a search for charged and neutral strange quark matter produced in interactions of 11.5 GeV/c per nucleon Au beams with Pt or Pb targets. Searches were made for strange quark matter with A>4. Approximately 30 billion 10% most central collisions were sampled and no strangelet states with A<100 were observed. We find 90% confidence level upper limits of approximately 10^{-8} per central collision for both charged and neutral strangelets. These limits are for strangelets with proper lifetimes greater than 50 ns. Also limits for H^{0}-d and pineut production are given. The above limits are compared with the predictions of various models. The yields of light nuclei from coalescence are measured and a penalty factor for the addition of one nucleon to the coalescing nucleus is determined. This is useful in gauging the significance of our upper limits and also in planning future searches for strange quark matter.
No description provided.
No description provided.
No description provided.
Positive pion and kaon production from Au+Au reactions have been measured as a function of beam energy over the range 2.0-10.7~AGeV. Both the kaon and the pion production cross-sections at mid-rapidity are observed to increase steadily with beam kinetic energy. The ratio of K$^+$ to $\pi^+$ mid-rapidity yields increases from 0.0271$\pm0.0015\pm0.0014$ at 2.0~AGeV to 0.202$\pm0.005\pm0.010$ at 10.7~AGeV and is larger than the K$^+$/$\pi^+$ ratio from p+p reactions over the same beam energy region. There is no indication of an onset of any new production mechanism in heavy-ion reactions in this energy range beyond rescattering of hadrons.
The centrality selection at each beam energy is the most central 5% of the total interaction cross-section (SIG(C=interaction) = 6.8b). A single exponential function in MT was fit simultaneously to the two kaonspectra at each beam energy D2(N)/D(MT)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/MT=D(N)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/T/(T+ M(KAON))/EXP((MT-M(KAON))/T). The fits reproduce the spectra well with two free parameters, the inverse slope parameter T and the rapidity density, D(N)/D(YRAP)in that rapidity slice. The mid-rapidity range for 2, 4, 6, 8 AGeV is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.25, for 10.7 AGeV the width is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.125, where Ynn is mid-rapidity in the laboratory frame. The errors are statistical only. The 1.96, 4. and 10.74 GeV are E866 data, another - E917 data.
The centrality selection at each beam energy is the most central 5% of the total interaction cross-section (SIG(C=interaction) = 6.8b). A single exponential function in MT was fit simultaneously to the two kaonspectra at each beam energy D2(N)/D(MT)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/MT=D(N)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/T/(T+ M(KAON))/EXP((MT-M(KAON))/T). The fits reproduce the spectra well with two free parameters, the inverse slope parameter T and the rapidity density, D(N)/D(YRAP)in that rapidity slice. The mid-rapidity range for 2, 4, 6, 8 AGeV is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.25, for 10.7 AGeV the width is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.125, where Ynn is mid-rapidity in the laboratory frame. The errors are statistical only. The 1.96, 4. and 10.74 GeV are E866 data, another - E917 data.
The centrality selection at each beam energy is the most central 5% of the total interaction cross-section (SIG(C=interaction) = 6.8b). The spectra were fit with a scaled exponential, D2(N)/D(YRAP)/D(MT)/2/PI/MT=D(N)/D(YRAP)/2/PI/(T**(2-L))/GAMMA(2-L,M(PION)/T)/MT**L/EXP(MT/T), where GAMMA(2-L,M(PION)/T), the complementary incomplete gamma function, is introduced in the normalization so that D(N)/D(YRAP) is a fitted parameter (and other free parameters are L and T). The mid-rapidity range for 2, 4 (E866 data), 6, 8 AGeV (E917 data) beam energy is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) < 0.25, for 10.7 AGeV (E917 data) the width is ABS((YRAP-Ynn)/Ynn) <0.125, where Ynn is mid-rapidity in the laboratory frame. The errors are statistical only.
Mid-rapidity spectra and yields of K$^-$ and K$^+$ have been measured for Au+Au collisions at 4, 6, 8, and 10.7 AGeV. The K$^-$ yield increases faster with beam energy than for K$^+$ and hence the K$^-$/K$^+$ ratio increases with beam energy. This ratio is studied as a function of both $\sqrt{s}$ and $\sqrt{s}$-$\sqrt{s_{th}}$ which allows the direct comparison of the kaon yields with respect to the production threshold in p+p reactions. For equal $\sqrt{s}$ - $\sqrt{s_{th}}$ the measured ratio K$^-$/K$^+$=0.2 at energies above threshold in contrast to the K$^-$/K$^+$ ratio of near unity observed at energies below threshold. The use of the K$^-$/K$^+$ ratio to test the predicted changes of kaon properties in dense nuclear matter is discussed.
Only statistical errors are presented.
Only statistical errors are presented.
Only statistical errors are presented.
None
CENTRAL EVENTS: 10% OF SIG(GEOM).
A search for double- Λ hypernuclei ( 12 ΛΛ Be) and H -dibaryons using the 12 C( K − , K + ) reaction was performed at the BNL-AGS using a high-intensity 1.8 GeV/ c K − beam. A missing-mass analysis below the end point of the quasi-free Ξ − production was used to investigate these S =−2 systems. The upper limit obtained for the forward-angle cross section of 12 ΛΛ Be production is 6 to 10 nb/sr. This is the first search for the direct production of double- Λ hypernuclei to reach the sensitivity required to observe the signal predicted by theoretical calculations. For the H -production cross section, we have obtained an upper limit in the range of a few nb/sr to 10 nb/sr for the H mass below 2100 MeV/ c 2 . This upper limit is the most sensitive H search result to date for a tightly bound H .
Upper limit is given.
The production of the H-dibaryon could occur via the (K-, K+) reaction on two protons in a nucleus: K- (PP) --> K+ H-dibaryon. Upper limit is given.