Exploring Jet Properties in p-p Collisions at 200 GeV with STAR

TL;DR

This paper measures jet fragmentation functions in proton-proton collisions at 200 GeV to better understand hadronization, providing a reference for heavy ion collision studies and testing the robustness of jet reconstruction methods.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed measurements of jet fragmentation functions at RHIC energies, comparing different jet algorithms and analyzing particle production inside and outside jets.

Findings

Fragmentation functions are largely insensitive to jet algorithm details.

Results serve as a baseline for studying hadronization modifications in heavy ion collisions.

Particle production patterns inside and outside jets are analyzed to understand hadronization mechanisms.

Abstract

The mechanisms underlying hadronization are not well understood, both in vacuum and in hot QCD matter. Precise characterization of jet fragmentation to hadrons in p-p collisions will help elucidate the fundamental process of hadronization, and will serve as essential reference to measure the modification of hadronization in heavy ion collisions. We present measurements of fragmentation functions for unidentified particles in jets produced in p-p collisions at 200 GeV using the STAR detector at RHIC. The results from different jet reconstruction algorithms are compared, including variations of the resolution parameter. It is found that the results are largely insensitive to details of the jet-finding algorithm at RHIC energies. Particle production inside and outside of these reconstructed jets will be compared to improve our understanding of the hadronization mechanisms for soft and hard particles in p-p events at RHIC energies.