Heavy flavor hadron measurement at RHIC
Abstract
<p indent="0mm">This paper reviews recent progress of the heavy flavor hadron production measurement at RHIC energy in heavy-ion collisions. Experimental results of the nuclear modification factor and elliptic flow of heavy flavor hadrons and electrons from heavy flavor decays are reported. Significant suppressions of the nuclear modification factors of D<sup>0</sup> meson and heavy flavor decay electron at high transverse momentum, similar as light hadrons, have been observed, which indicates significant energy loss of charm quark in the Quark-Gluon Plasma created in the heavy-ion collisions. In the mean time, the elliptic flows of D<sup>0</sup> meson and heavy flavor decay electron have been observed, and also similar as light hadrons, consisting with hydrodynamics. Above two evidences indicate strong interactions between charm quark and the nuclear medium created in the collisions. Comparison between data and models provides constraints on the key parameters of the QCD matter, such as the charm quark diffusion coefficient.</p>
