Heavy Flavor and Quarkonia Results from the PHENIX Experiment

TL;DR

The PHENIX experiment investigates heavy flavor and quarkonia production at large rapidity in heavy-ion collisions, providing new insights into medium evolution at different rapidity regions.

Contribution

This study presents the first measurement of heavy flavor and J/ψ flow at large rapidity in Au+Au collisions at 200 GeV, expanding understanding of nuclear effects.

Findings

First measurement of heavy flavor and J/ψ flow at large rapidity.

Evidence of different medium effects at large rapidity.

Enhanced understanding of rapidity-dependent nuclear modifications.

Abstract

The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has a unique large rapidity coverage ($1.2 < |y| < 2.2$) for heavy flavor studies in heavy-ion collisions. This kinematic region has a smaller particle density and may undergo different nuclear effects before and after the hard process when compared to mid-rapidity production. The latest PHENIX runs contain a large data set which allows, for the first time, the study of heavy flavor and $J/\psi$ flow at the large rapidity region in Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=$200 GeV. This measurement has the potential to reveal a medium evolution distinct from that known at mid-rapidity.