Centrality dependence of elliptic flow of multi-strange hadrons in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV

Abstract

We present recent results of the mid-rapidity elliptic flow ($v_2$) for multi-strange hadrons and the $\phi$ meson as a function of centrality in Au + Au collisions at the center of mass energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV. The transverse momentum dependence of $\phi$ and $\Omega$ $v_2$ is similar to that of pion and proton, indicating that the heavier strange ($s$) quark flows as strongly as the lighter up ($u$) and down ($d$) quarks. These observations constitute a clear piece of evidence for the development of partonic collectivity in heavy-ion collisions at the top RHIC energy. In addition, the mass ordering of $v_2$ breaks between the $\phi$ and proton at low transverse momenta in the 0-30\% centrality bin, possibly due to the effect of late hadronic interactions on the proton $v_2$.