Measurement of D* Mesons in Jets from p+p Collisions at sqrt{s} = 200 GeV

TL;DR

This paper measures charged D* mesons within jets from proton-proton collisions at 200 GeV, providing data that supports perturbative QCD predictions on gluon splitting into charm quarks.

Contribution

First measurement of D* mesons in jets at RHIC energies, comparing experimental data with QCD predictions on charm production mechanisms.

Findings

D* production rate in jets is 0.015 ± 0.008 (stat) ± 0.007 (sys)

Results are consistent with perturbative QCD calculations

Supports gluon splitting as a source of charm quarks in jets

Abstract

We report the measurement of charged $D^*$ mesons in inclusive jets produced in proton-proton collisions at a center of mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV with the STAR experiment at RHIC. For $D^{*}$ mesons with fractional momenta $0.2 < z < 0.5$ in inclusive jets with 11.5 GeV mean transverse energy, the production rate is found to be $N(D^{*+}+D^{*-})/N(\mathrm{jet}) = 0.015 \pm 0.008 (\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.007 (\mathrm{sys})$. This rate is consistent with perturbative QCD evaluation of gluon splitting into a pair of charm quarks and subsequent hadronization.