Direct Photon Shine: Direct Photon and π0 Production in √sNN= 200 GeV Au + Au Collisions

With the inclusion of a new Run2 trigger data sample, the PHENIX Collaboration has measured the first positive direct photon (γ_direct) signal in Au+Au collisions at √sNN= 200 GeV and midrapidity (|y|≤0.35). The new data has extended the previous PHENIX π⁰ measurement by 4 GeV/c in its p_T range, thus matching the γ-direct measurement with a p_T range of 1-14 GeV/c which make them the highest p_T measurements yet in RHIC Au+Au. Similar to the d+Au results, these direct photon measurements represent possibly the best available confirmation of the conclusion that the aforementioned suppression effect is not due to differences in initial state hard-scattering, but rather, due to a final state medium which quenches hard quarks and gluons, but not hard direct photons.