Common suppression pattern of η and π⁰ mesons at high transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at √S_NN=200 gev

Abstract

Inclusive transverse momentum spectra of η mesons have been measured within p_T=2-10 GeV/c at midrapidity by the PHENIX experiment in Au+Au collisions at √S_NN=200 GeV. In central Au+Au the η yields are significantly suppressed compared to peripheral Au+Au, d+Au, and p+p yields scaled by the corresponding number of nucleon-nucleon collisions. The magnitude, centrality, and p_T dependence of the suppression is common, within errors, for η and π⁰. The ratio of η to π⁰ spectra at high p_T amounts to 0.40<R_η/π⁰<0.48 for the three systems, in agreement with the world average measured in hadronic and nuclear reactions and, at large scaled momentum, in e⁺e^- collisions.