Centrality dependence of high-p(T) hadron suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV

Phys Rev Lett. 2002 Nov 11;89(20):202301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.202301. Epub 2002 Oct 28.

Abstract

Inclusive transverse momentum distributions of charged hadrons within 0.2<p(T)<6.0 GeV/c have been measured over a broad range of centrality for Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=130 GeV. Hadron yields are suppressed at high p(T) in central collisions relative to peripheral collisions and to a nucleon-nucleon reference scaled for collision geometry. Peripheral collisions are not suppressed relative to the nucleon-nucleon reference. The suppression varies continuously at intermediate centralities. The results indicate significant nuclear medium effects on high-p(T) hadron production in heavy-ion collisions at high energy.