Speaker
Dr
Sarah Campbell
(Iowa State University)
Description
Cu+Au collisions at RHIC generate asymmetric initial geometries and densities in both azimuth and rapidity. High $p_T$ $\pi^0$s produced in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV Cu+Au collisions provide new environments to study parton energy loss in the Quark Gluon Plasma. including very central events where the Cu nucleus is enveloped by the Au nucleus. By measuring $\pi^0$ yields in $\phi$ relative to the event plane, we can probe different core-corona regions in these very central events and study the path length dependence of energy loss in various lopsided initial geometries. PHENIX has observed the suppression of $\pi^0$s as a function of the azimuthal angle with respect to the event plane in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions and found it consistent with a larger that quadratic path length dependence suggesting a non-perturbative energy loss model applies. The unique collision geometries available in Cu+Au provide new settings to explore and possibly confirm this path length dependence. The status of the Cu+Au $\pi^0$ analysis will be presented.
Author
Dr
Sarah Campbell
(Iowa State University)
