Recent PHENIX Results on Open Heavy Flavor

TL;DR

This paper presents recent PHENIX experimental results on open heavy flavor production across different collision systems, revealing cold nuclear matter effects and insights into parton energy loss in nuclear media.

Contribution

It provides new measurements of non-photonic electron spectra in $d$+Au and Cu+Cu collisions, enhancing understanding of heavy quark dynamics and nuclear matter effects.

Findings

Surprising cold nuclear matter effects observed at midrapidity.

Non-photonic electron spectra show centrality dependence.

Implications for parton energy loss mechanisms in nuclear medium.

Abstract

Throughout the history of the RHIC physics program, questions concerning the dynamics of heavy quarks have generated much experimental and theoretical investigation. A major focus of the PHENIX experiment is the measurement of these quarks through their semi-leptonic decay channels at mid and forward rapidity. Heavy quark measurements in $p+p$ collisions give information on the production of heavy flavor, without complications from medium effects. New measurements in $d+$Au and Cu+Cu indicate surprising cold nuclear matter effects on these quarks at midrapidity, and provide a new baseline for interpretation of the observed suppression in Au+Au collisions. When considered all together, these measurements present a detailed study of nuclear matter across a wide range of system size and temperature. Here we present preliminary PHENIX measurements of non-photonic electron spectra and their centrality dependence in $d$+Au and Cu+Cu, and discuss their implications on the current understanding of parton energy loss in the nuclear medium.