DOI: 10.17182/hepdata.101346.v1/t10
title: "Figure 3a" of "Anomalous centrality evolution of two-particle angular correlations from Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 62 and 200 GeV"

description: FIG. 3. Fit parameters for $\left(\eta_{\Delta}, \phi_{\Delta}\right)$ correlation data from Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{N N}}=62$ (open symbols) and 200 GeV (solid symbols) versus centrality measure $\nu$ computed at fixed energy $(200 \mathrm{GeV})$. The SS $2 \mathrm{D}$ Gaussian amplitudes, $\eta_{\Delta}$ widths, and $\phi_{\Delta}$ widths are shown in the left, center, and right panels, respectively of the top row. The bottom row shows from left to right the amplitudes for the dipole, quadrupole, and SS peak width aspect ratio $\sigma_{\eta_{\Delta}} / \sigma_{\phi_{\Delta}} .$ Fitting errors are indicated by error bars where larger than the symbols. Solid lines connect the points for clarity. The dotted and dashed curves indicate Glauber linear superposition estimates for 62 - and 200 -GeV peak amplitudes respectively, as discussed in the text. The quadrupole data are consistent with Ref. [60]. The hatched regions indicate the full range of systematic uncertainties listed in Appendix F. The vertical dark bands indicate estimated $v$ equivalents for $N-N$ collisions and $b=0$ Au-Au collisions.
description: We present two-dimensional (2D) two-particle angular correlations on relative pseudorapidity $\eta$ and azimuth $\phi$ for charged particles from Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=62$ and $200 \mathrm{GeV}$ with transverse momentum $p_{t} \geq 0.15 \mathrm{GeV} / c,|\eta| \leq 1$ and $2 \pi$ azimuth. Observed correlations include $\mathrm{a}$ $\{$ same-side $\}$ (relative azimuth $&lt;\pi / 2$ ) $2 \mathrm{D}$ peak, a closely-related away-side azimuth dipole, and an azimuth quadrupole conventionally associated with elliptic flow. The same-side 2 D peak and away-side dipole are explained by semihard parton scattering and fragmentation (minijets) in proton-proton and peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions. Those structures follow N-N binary-collision scaling in Au-Au collisions until midcentrality where a transition to a qualitatively different centrality trend occurs within a small centrality interval. Above the transition point the number of same-side and away-side correlated pairs increases rapidly \{relative to $\}$ binary-collision scaling, the $\eta$ width of the same-side $2 \mathrm{D}$ peak also increases rapidly $(\eta$ elongation) and the $\phi$ width actually decreases significantly. Those centrality trends are more remarkable when contrasted with expectations of jet quenching in a dense medium. Observed centrality trends are compared to \{ Isc hijing\} predictions and to the expected trends for semihard parton scattering and fragmentation in a thermalized opaque medium. We are unable to reconcile a semihard parton scattering and fragmentation origin for the observed correlation structure and centrality trends with heavy ion collision scenarios which invoke rapid parton thermalization. On the other hand, if the collision system is effectively opaque to few-GeV partons the observations reported here would be inconsistent with a minijet picture.