Identified particle production, azimuthal anisotropy, and interferometry measurements in Au_s16Au collisions at $sqrts_NN$ = 9.2 GeV

Abstract

We present the first measurements of identified hadron production, azimuthal anisotropy, and pion interferometry from Au_s16Au collisions below the nominal injection energy at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) facility. The data were collected using the large acceptance STAR detector at $sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 9.2 GeV from a test run of the collider in the year 2008. Midrapidity results on multiplicity density (dN/dy) in rapidity (y), average transverse momentum (), particle ratios, elliptic flow, and HBT radii are consistent with the corresponding results at similar $sqrt{s_{NN}}$ from fixed target experiments. Directed flow measurements are presented for both midrapidity and forward rapidity regions. Furthermore the collision centrality dependence of identified particle dN/dy, , and particle ratios are discussed. These results also demonstrate the readiness of the STAR detector to undertake the proposed QCD critical point search and the exploration of the QCD phase diagram at RHIC.