Prompt Photon and Inclusive $\pi^0$ Production at RHIC and LHC

Abstract

We present results for prompt photon and inclusive $\pi^0$ production in p-p and A-A collisions at RHIC and LHC energies. We include the full next-to-leading order radiative corrections and nuclear effects, such as nuclear shadowing and parton energy loss. We find the next-to-leading order corrections to be large and $p_T$ dependent. We show how measurements of $\pi^0$ production at RHIC and LHC, at large $p_T$, can provide valuable information about the nature of parton energy loss. We calculate the ratio of prompt photons to neutral pions and show that at RHIC energies this ratio increases with $p_T$ approaching one at $p_T \sim 10$ GeV, due to the large suppression of $\pi^0$ production. We show that at the LHC, this ratio has steep $p_T$ dependence and approaches 10% effect at $p_T \sim 20$ GeV.