Centrality dependence of charged hadron transverse momentum spectra in Au+Au collisions from sqrt(s_NN) = 62.4 to 200 GeV

Abstract

We have measured transverse momentum distributions of charged hadrons produced in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 62.4 GeV. The spectra are presented for transverse momenta 0.25 < p_T< 4.5 GeV/c, in a pseudo-rapidity range of 0.2 < eta < 1.4. The nuclear modification factor R_AA is calculated relative to p+p data at the same collision energy as a function of collision centrality. For p_T > 2 GeV/c, R_AA is found to be significantly larger than in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) =130 and 200 GeV. In contrast, we find that the evolution of the invariant yields per participant pair from peripheral to central collisions is approximately energy independent over this range of collision energies. This observation challenges models of high p_T hadron suppression in terms of parton energy loss.