| dc.description.abstract | The STAR collaboration recorded s =200 GeV per nucleon d+Au and p+p
collision events during the year 2003 RHIC run. In the p+p and the d+Au data samples, it
is possible to reconstruct jets and make comparisons between them. This dissertation
describes the reconstructed jet sample from the p+p events, the measurements of the jet jT
distribution which quantifies the shape of the jet perpendicular to the jet direction, the jet
fragmentation function (z), which quantifies the fraction of jet momentum carried by the
jet particles, and the width of the parton momentum broadening distribution (kT). This
dissertation also describes the comparison of these results to the reconstructed jet sample
from d+Au events. Measurements of jet jT and jet fragmentation from p+p, d+Au, and
PYTHIA are compared. The z and jT distributions from p+p and also d+Au are found to
be consistent with PYTHIA event simulation version 6.205. RMS(jT) equals 612±12±30
MeV/c for p+p, and RMS(jT) equals 630±13±30 MeV/c for d+Au. The p+p kT Gaussian
sigma (width) equals 2.08±0.12±0.13 GeV/c. This width is consistent with PYTHIA, kT
literature surveys, and other RHIC measurements. A limit on nuclear kT broadening in the
Au nucleus is also obtained, showing that nuclear kT is consistent with zero to within 0.5
GeV/c. The present status of the RdAu measurement from jets is also described. The
nuclear kT broadening, in particular, is a measurement which has been done at this energy
for the first time at RHIC. These measurements, while interesting by themselves, also will
contribute ultimately to the understanding of Au+Au collisions at RHIC, and the
properties of the high-density matter which results from them. | en |
