Probe for the strong parity violation effects at RHIC with

three particle correlations

Sergei A. Voloshin for the STAR Collaboration
∗
Wayne State University, Michigan 48201, USA

In non-central relativistic heavy ion collisions, P-odd domains, which might be created in the
arXiv:0806.0029v1 [nucl-ex] 30 May 2008

process of the collision, are predicted to lead to charge separation along the system orbital mo-
mentum [1]. An observable, P-even, but directly sensitive to the charge separation effect, has been
proposed in [2] and is based on 3-particle mixed harmonics azimuthal correlations. We report the
√
STAR measurements using this observable for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at sN N =200 and
62 GeV. The results are reported as function of collision centrality, particle separation in rapid-
ity, and particle transverse momentum. Effects that are not related to parity violation but might
contribute to the signal are discussed.

I. INTRODUCTION. EFFECT AND OBSERVABLES.

It was suggested in [3] that metastable P and/or CP-odd domains, characterized by non-zero
topological charge, might be created in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. The possibility for
experimental detection of this phenomena have been discussed in [4, 5]. More recently, it was
noticed [1] that in non-central collisions such domains can demonstrate itself via preferential same
charge particle emission along the system angular momentum. Such charge separation is a conse-
quence of a difference in the number of particles with positive and negative helicities positioned in a
strong magnetic field of non-central nuclear collision [1, 6]. Depending on the sign of the domain’s
topological charge, positively charged particles will be preferentially emitted either along, or in
the opposite direction of the system orbital momentum, with negative particles flowing oppositely
to the positives. For a particular domain the charge separation can be effectively described by
azimuthal distribution
dN± /dφ ∝ (1 + 2a± sin(φ − ΨRP )), (1)
where parameter a− = −a+ , and the sign of a± varies event to event following the fluctuations
in the domain’s topological charge. On average, ha± i = 0, therefore one has to measure haα aβ i.
The latter is a P-even quantity and may contain contribution from effects not related to the parity
violation. A correlator, directly sensitive to haα aβ i was proposed in [2]:
hcos(φα + φβ − 2ΨRP )i = hcos(φα − ΨRP ) cos(φb − ΨRP )i (2)
− hsin(φα − ΨRP ) sin(φb − ΨRP )i ≈ (v1,a v1,b − aα ab ),
and represents the difference in correlations projected onto the reaction plane and “out-of-plane”
direction [8, 9]. The approximate sign in the last equality reflects the fact that particles α and β
might be correlated not only via common correlation to the reaction plane – then the average does
not factorize into product of averages. Note that in the rapidity region symmetric with respect to
the mid-rapidity, the average directed flow equals to zero. In practice one estimates the (second
order) reaction plane with the third particle [7, 8, 9] assuming that the particle c is correlated
with particles α and β only via common correlation to the reaction plane: hcos(φa + φβ − 2φc )i =
hcos(φa + φβ − 2ΨRP )i v2,c .

∗ Electronic address: voloshin@[Link]

 II. DATA. DETECTOR.

The data have been obtained with STAR detector during RHIC Runs IV and V of Au+Au and
√
Cu+Cu collisions at sN N = 200 and 62 GeV. Minimum bias trigger has been used and events
with primary vertex within 30 cm from the center of the Main TPC have been selected. Standard
STAR cuts suppressing pile-up event have been applied. The results are based on about 14.7M
√
Au+Au and 13.9M Cu+Cu events at sN N = 200 GeV, and 2.4M Au+Au and 6.3M Cu+Cu
√
events at sN N = 62 GeV. The centrality of the collision is determined according to the charged
particle multiplicity in the region |η| < 0.5.
The correlations are reported for pseudorapidity region |η| < 1.0 covered by the STAR Main
TPC. For the event plane determination, in addition to the main TPC we use two Forward TPCs
with pseudorapidity coverage 2.7 < |η| < 3.9, and two ZDC-SMD (Zero Degree Calorimeter -
Shower Maximum Detector) detectors that being sensitive to directed flow of neutrons in the
beam rapidity region. The tracks in the main TPC are required to have pt > 0.15 GeV/c. For the
results integrated over transverse momentum we also impose upper cut of pt < 2 GeV/c. Standard
STAR track quality cuts are applied: the minimum of 15 tracking points are required for a track
and the ratio of number of points to the maximum possible is required to be greater than 0.52 to
avoid the effects of track splitting. The data with reverse magnetic field polarity has been used to
asses the systematic effects; the reported results are averaged over both field polarities.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Fig. 1(a) compares three particle correlations obtained for different charge combinations as func-
tion of centrality of the collision with the third particle selected in the Main TPC or Forward TPC
regions. Under assumption that the third (second harmonic) particle is correlated with the first
(first harmonic) two particles only via common correlation to the reaction plane, this correlator
should be proportional to the elliptic flow of the third particle. As seen from Fig. 1(b), which
shows three particle correlator divided by v2 of the third particle, our results agree well with this
assumption. Similar conclusion can be also reached if ZDC-SMD is used for the determination of
the reaction plane. In the following all results are presented normalized by flow of the particles
used in the determination of the event plane. Fig. 2 presents the results for Au+Au and Cu+Cu
collisions at two different energies. The signal in Cu+Cu collisions seems to be somewhat larger
for the same centrality of the collision. The opposite sign combination correlations are stronger
in Cu+Cu, qualitatively in agreement with scenario of stronger suppression of the back-to-back
correlations in Au+Au collisions. In this and other figures, only statistical errors are indicated.
Comparing the results obtained with two different magnetic field polarities we observe a systematic
difference in the results comparable to the signal in the 5% most central collisions; negligible for
other centralities. Other systematic uncertainties are currently under study. Fig. 3(a) shows the
dependence of the signal on the difference in pseudorapidities of two particles for two centralities.
The signal has a “typical hadronic” width of about 1 unit of pseudorapidity. Fig. 3(b) shows the
dependence of the signal on the sum the magnitudes of two particles for one centrality. We do not
observe that the signal is concentrated in the low pt region as expected for P-violation effects. At
the same time our pt range is statistics limited and further study is needed for better determination
of the dependence of the signal on transverse momentum.

IV. OTHER EFFECTS

The correlator, Eq. 2 can exhibit non-zero signal for effects not related to P-violation, e.g. when
particles α and β are products of a cluster decay, and the cluster itself exhibits elliptic flow [8, 9]
 (a) (b)

FIG. 1: (a) Comparison of correlations obtained using third particle in the main TPC and Forward TPCs.
(b) The results after normalization to the flow of the third particle.

×10-3 ×10-3
<cos(φα+φ -2ΨRP)>

<cos(φα+φ -2ΨRP)>

STAR Preliminary, 200 GeV STAR Preliminary, 62 GeV

1 same charge, AuAu 1 same charge, AuAu
opp charge, AuAu opp charge, AuAu
same charge, CuCu same charge, CuCu
opp charge, CuCu
β

opp charge, CuCu

0.5 0.5

0 0

-0.5 -0.5

-1 -1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
% Most Central % Most Central
(a) (b)
√
FIG. 2: hcos(φa + φβ − 2ΨRP )i in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at (a) sN N = 200 GeV and (b) 62 GeV.

or decay/fragment differently when emitted in-plane or out-of-plane. One can write:

fres hcos(φα + φβ − 2φres )i v2,res

hcos(φα + φβ − 2φc )i ≈ v2,c , (3)
Nch
where fres is the fraction of charged particles originating from corresponding resonance decays,
v2,res is the resonance elliptic flow. The factor 1/Nch reflects the probability that both particles
in the pair are from the same resonance. Note that hcos(φα + φβ − 2φres )i is zero if the resonance
is at rest, and become non-zero only due to resonance motion.
We have investigated possible contributions of not P-violation effects known to us: so far we could
not identify any that would explain even qualitatively the observed signal. (i) The contribution of
directed flow fluctuations is of opposite sign and is similar for different charge combinations unlike
the signal. (ii) The contribution of (elliptically) flowing hadronic resonances has been found too
 ×10-3
2

<cos(φα+ φ - 2ΨRP)>
STAR Preliminary, Au+Au 200 GeV
1.5 same charge
opp charge
1

β
0.5

0
-0.5

-1
-1.5

-20 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4

|p + p | (GeV)
t,α t,β

(a) (b)

FIG. 3: Au+Au 200 GeV. The signal dependence on (a) |ηα − ηβ | and (b) pt,α + pt,β .

small in magnitude, somewhat stronger for opposite sign pairs, and of the same sign for all charge
combinations. (iii) The effect of strong (elliptically modulated) radial flow has been studyied with
PYTHIA even generator. The signal, though in magnitude of the same order as in the data, has
been found similar for different charge combinations unlike in the data. (iv) Global polatization
of hyperons has been found experimentally to be consistent with zero [10].

V. SUMMARY

The analysis using three particle correlations that are directly sensitive to the P-violation effects
√
in heavy ion collisions has been presented for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at sN N =200 and
62 GeV. The results are reported for different particle charge combinations as function of collision
centrality, particle separation in rapidity, and particle transverse momentum. Qualitatively the
results agree with the magnitude and gross features of the theoretical predictions for P-violation
in heavy ion collisions, except, probably, transverse momentum dependence. Though a particular
observable used in our analysis is P-even and in principle might be sensitive to other, not parity
violating, effects, so far, with systematics checks mentioned above, we could not identify such that
would explain the observed correlations.
References
[1] D. Kharzeev, Phys. Lett. B 633, 260 (2006) [arXiv:hep-ph/0406125].
[2] S. A. Voloshin, Phys. Rev. C 70, 057901 (2004) [arXiv:hep-ph/0406311].
[3] D. Kharzeev, R. D. Pisarski and M. H. G. Tytgat, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 512 (1998)
[4] S. A. Voloshin, Phys. Rev. C 62, 044901 (2000) [arXiv:nucl-th/0004042].
[5] L. E. Finch et al., Phys. Rev. C 65, 014908 (2002).
[6] D. E. Kharzeev, L. D. McLerran and H. J. Warringa, arXiv:0711.0950 [hep-ph].
[7] A. M. Poskanzer and S. A. Voloshin, Phys. Rev. C 58, 1671 (1998) [arXiv:nucl-ex/9805001].
[8] N. Borghini, P. M. Dinh and J. Y. Ollitrault, Phys. Rev. C 64, 054901 (2001)
[9] J. Adams et al. [STAR Collaboration], Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 062301 (2004)
[10] B. I. Abelev et al. [STAR Collaboration], Phys. Rev. C 76, 024915 (2007)