Particle Production at Very Low Transverse Momenta in Au+Au Collisions at s(NN)**1/2 = 200 GeV

Abstract

We present results on charged particle production at very low transverse momenta in the 15% most central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV obtained with the PHOBOS detector at RHIC. The invariant yields were measured at mid-rapidity in the transverse momentum ranges from 30 to 50 MeV/c for charged pions, 90 to 130 MeV/c for charged kaons and 140 to 210 MeV/c for protons and antiprotons. No significant enhancement in low transverse momentum particle production is observed as compared to extrapolations of identified particle spectra measured at an intermediate pT range. The spectra tend to flatten at low pT, consistent with the expectations of transverse expansion of the system.