Deuteron and antideuteron production in Au+Au collisions at √s_NN=200GeV

Abstract

The production of deuterons and antideuterons in the transverse momentum range 1.1<p_T<4.3 GeV/c at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at √s_NN=200 GeV has been studied by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. A coalescence analysis, comparing the deuteron and antideuteron spectra with that of proton and antiproton, has been performed. The coalescence probability is equal for both deuterons and antideuterons and it increases as a function of p_T, which is consistent with an expanding collision zone. Comparing (anti)proton yields, p^- /p=0.73±0.01, with (anti)deuteron yields, d^-/d=0.47±0.03, we estimate that n^- /n=0.64±0.04. The nucleon phase space density is estimated from the coalescence measurement.