Non-flow correlations and elliptic flow fluctuations in Au+Au collisions at [sqrt]sNN=200 GeV

Abstract

This article presents results on event-by-event elliptic flow fluctuations in Au+Au collisions at [sqrt]sNN= 200 GeV, where the contribution from non-flow correlations has been subtracted. An analysis method is introduced to measure non-flow correlations, relying on the assumption that non-flow correlations are most prominent at short ranges (|Δeta|<2). Assuming that non-flow correlations are of the order that is observed in p+p collisions for long-range correlations (|Δeta|>2), relative elliptic flow fluctuations of approximately 30–40% are observed. These results are consistent with predictions based on spatial fluctuations of the participating nucleons in the initial nuclear overlap region. It is found that the long-range non-flow correlations in Au+Au collisions would have to be more than an order of magnitude strongercompared to the p+p data to lead to the observed azimuthal anisotropy fluctuations with no intrinsic elliptic flow fluctuations.