A d-Au data-driven prediction of cold nuclear matter effects on $J/\psi$ production in Au-Au collisions at RHIC

Abstract

I present here a new Glauber-inspired approach to derive normal cold nuclear matter effects on $J/\psi$ production in Au-Au collisions. In an as much as possible model-independent way, it extrapolates the centrality dependent yields from d-Au to Au-Au collisions. I then compare to the new Au-Au measurements shown by the PHENIX experiment in this conference. In the most central collisions, $J/\psi$ survival probabilities beyond cold nuclear matter effects are found to be $44\pm 23$ at forward ($y=1.7$) and $25\pm 12$ at mid ($y=0$) rapidities.

Comments: 4 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, Quark Matter 06, Shanghai, Nov. 2006 (revised version after referee report)