# Scaling p_T distributions for p and \bar{p} produced in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a universal scaling distribution for proton and anti-proton transverse momentum spectra in Au+Au collisions at RHIC, independent of collision centrality, challenging traditional string fragmentation models.

## Contribution

It introduces a new scaling behavior for p_T spectra of protons and anti-protons across different centralities and rapidities, contrasting with conventional models.

## Key findings

- Scaling functions describe data across centralities and rapidities.
- Scaling behavior is incompatible with string fragmentation.
- Universal p_T distribution observed for protons and anti-protons.

## Abstract

With the experimental data from STAR and PHENIX on the centrality dependence of the $p_T$ spectra of protons and anti-protons produced at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at 200 GeV, we show that for protons and anti-protons there exists a scaling distribution independent of the colliding centrality. The scaling functions can also describe data from BRAHMS for both proton and anti-proton spectra at $y=2.2$ and 3.2. The scaling behaviors are shown to be incompatible with the usual string fragmentation scenario for particle production.