Baryon Stopping in Au+Au and p+p collisions at 62 and 200 GeV

Abstract

BRAHMS has measured rapidity density distributions of protons and antiprotons in both p+p and Au+Au collisions at 62 GeV and 200 GeV. From these distributions the yields of so-called 'net-protons', that is the difference between the proton and antiproton yields, can be determined. The rapidity dependence of the net-proton yields from peripheral Au+Au collisions is found to have a similar behaviour to that found for the p+p results, while a quite different rapidity dependence is found for central Au+Au collisions. The net-proton distributions can be used together with model calculations to find the net-baryon yields as a function of rapidity, thus yielding information on the average rapidity loss of beam particles, the baryon transport properties of the medium, and the amount of 'stopping' in these collisions. © 2009 Elsevier B.V.