Nuclear Broadening Effects on Hard Prompt Photons at Relativistic Energies

Abstract

We calculate prompt photon production in high-energy nuclear collisions. We focus on the broadening of the intrinsic transverse momenta of the partons in the initial state from nuclear effects, and their influence on the prompt photon p_t distribution. Comparing to WA98 data from Pb+Pb collisions at SPS energy we find evidence for the presence of nuclear broadening at high p_t in this hard process. Below p_t=2.7 GeV the photon distribution is due to small momentum transfer processes. At RHIC energy, the effect of intrinsic transverse momentum on the spectrum of prompt photons is less prominent. The region p_t=3-4 GeV would be the most promising for studying the nuclear broadening effects at that energy. Below p_t=2-3 GeV the contribution from large momentum transfers flattens out, and we expect that region to be dominated by soft contributions.