Measurement of the midrapidity transverse energy distribution from √SNN = 130 Ge V Au + Au collisions at RHIC

Abstract

The midrapidity transverse energy density for central Au + Au collisions was measured. It was found that such density is at least 1.6 times larger at √SNN=130 GeV (RHIC) than at √SNN = 17.2 GeV (CERN). The variation of the ET density per participant with centrality was observed to be very similar to the previously reported dependence of charged multiplicity density per participant at RHIC energies.