Workshop R2a
High p_T Physics at RHIC: I. Spectra, R_AA
Location: Large Seminar Room - Physics, Bldg. 510
Date: May 11, 2004
Organizers: David d'Enterria and Carla Vale
Local Contact: David d'Enterria
Description: The goal of the workshop is to provide an update on the most recent and important experimental and theoretical advances on particle production at high transverse momenta ($p_{T}>$ 2 GeV/$c$) in p+p, d+Au, and Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Particle production at large $p_T$ in hadronic collisions has long been viewed as an ideal basis for the study of the quark and gluon degrees of freedom of QCD.
Results from central Au+Au collisions show very different characteristics (inclusive yields, flavor composition, ...) in comparison to p+p, d+Au, peripheral Au+Au, and A+A collisions at lower $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$, and this fact constitutes arguably the most interesting outcome of the experimental program so far. In this context, a particular emphasis will be put on ascertaining what has been learnt so far about the properties of the strongly interacting media ("Quark Gluon Plasma", "Color Glass Condensate") expected to be present in nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC energies.
