Higher order QED in high mass e+ e- pairs production at RHIC

TL;DR

This paper compares lowest and higher order QED calculations with RHIC experimental data on high mass e+ e- pairs, showing higher order effects improve agreement with observations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed higher order QED calculations for high mass e+ e- pairs at RHIC, enhancing theoretical understanding of electromagnetic processes in heavy-ion collisions.

Findings

Lowest order QED overestimates data by about two standard deviations.

Higher order QED aligns within one standard deviation of experimental data.

Results highlight importance of including higher order effects in theoretical models.

Abstract

Lowest order and higher order QED calculations have been carried out for the RHIC high mass e+ e- pairs observed by PHENIX with single ZDC triggers. The lowest order QED results for the experimental acceptance are about two standard deviations larger than the PHENIX data. Corresponding higher order QED calculations are within one standard deviation of the data.