Transverse momentum spectra and yields of hadrons are measured by the PHENIX collaboration in $\text{Au}+\text{Au}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=130\text{GeV}$ at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The time-of-flight resolution allows identification of pions to transverse momenta of $2\text{GeV}∕c$ and protons and antiprotons to $4\text{GeV}∕c$. The yield of pions rises approximately linearly with the number of nucleons participating in the collision, while the number of kaons, protons, and antiprotons increases more rapidly. The shape of the momentum distribution changes between peripheral and central collisions. Simultaneous analysis of all the $p_T$ spectra indicates radial collective expansion, consistent with predictions of hydrodynamic models. Hydrodynamic analysis of the spectra shows that the expansion velocity increases with collision centrality and collision energy. This expansion boosts the particle momenta, causing the yield from soft processes to exceed that for hard to large transverse momentum, perhaps as large as $3\text{GeV}∕c$.

• Received 9 July 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.69.024904