Cross sections of $\hat{I}\cdot$ mesons in $p$$+$$p$ collisions at forward rapidity at $\sqrt{s}=500$ GeV and central rapidity at $\sqrt{s}=510$ GeV

Abstract

We present the first measurements of the forward and midrapidity $\hat{I}\cdot$-meson cross sections from $p$$+$$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=500$ and $510$~GeV, respectively. We also report the midrapidity $\hat{I}\cdot /\ddot{I}{€}^0$ ratio at 510 GeV. The forward cross section is measured differentially in $\hat{I}\cdot$-meson transverse momentum ($p_T$) from 1.0 to 6.5~GeV/$c$ for pseudorapidity $3.0<|\hat{I}\cdot |<3.8$. The midrapidity cross section is measured from 3.5 to 44 GeV/$c$ for pseudorapidity $|\hat{I}\cdot |<0.35$. Both cross sections serve as critical inputs to an updated global analysis of the $\hat{I}\cdot$-meson fragmentation functions.

500 authors from 81 institutions, 14 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. v1 is version submitted to Physical Review D. HEPdata tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.html