Diagnosing Energy Loss: PHENIX Results on High-pT Hadron Spectra

Abstract

Measurements of inclusive spectra of hadrons at large transverse momentum over a broad range of energy in different collision systems have been performed with the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. The data allow to study the energy and system size dependence of the suppression observed in RAA of high-pT hadrons at sqrt(s_NN)= 200 GeV. Due to the large energy range from sqrt(s_NN)= 22 GeV to 200 GeV, the results can be compared to results from CERN SPS at a similar energy. The large Au+Au dataset from the 2004 run of RHIC also allows to constrain theoretical models that describe the hot and dense matter produced in such collisions. Investigation of particle ratios such as eta/pi0 helps understanding the mechanisms of energy loss.

4 pages, 6 figures. To appear in the proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (Quark Matter 2006), Shanghai, China, November 14-20, 2006