Methods for a blind analysis of isobar data collected by the STAR collaboration

0544698 - ÚJF 2022 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Adam, J. - Adamczyk, L. - Adams, J. R. - Adkins, J. K. - Agakishiev, G. - Bielčík, J. - Bielčíková, Jana - Federič, Pavol - Chaloupka, P. - Holub, L. - Kocan, M. - Kosarzewski, L. K. - Kramárik, L. - Líčeník, Robert - Moravcová, Z. - Rusňák, Jan - Šimko, Miroslav - Šumbera, Michal - Vaněk, Jan … Total 368 authors
Methods for a blind analysis of isobar data collected by the STAR collaboration.
Nuclear Science and Techniques. Roč. 32, č. 5 (2021), č. článku 48. ISSN 1001-8042. E-ISSN 2210-3147
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT LTT18002
Research Infrastructure: BNL-CZ II - 90109
Institutional support: RVO:61389005
Keywords : STAR collaboration * blind analysis * chiral magnetic effect
OECD category: Nuclear physics
Impact factor: 2.389, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41365-021-00878-y

In 2018, the STAR collaboration collected data from 4496Ru+4496Ru and 4096Zr+4096Zr at sNN=200 GeV to search for the presence of the chiral magnetic effect in collisions of nuclei. The isobar collision species alternated frequently between 4496Ru+4496Ru and 4096Zr+4096Zr. In order to conduct blind analyses of studies related to the chiral magnetic effect in these isobar data, STAR developed a three-step blind analysis procedure. Analysts are initially provided a 'reference sample' of data, comprised of a mix of events from the two species, the order of which respects time-dependent changes in run conditions. After tuning analysis codes and performing time-dependent quality assurance on the reference sample, analysts are provided a species-blind sample suitable for calculating efficiencies and corrections for individual ≈ 30 -min data-taking runs. For this sample, species-specific information is disguised, but individual output files contain data from a single isobar species. Only run-by-run corrections and code alteration subsequent to these corrections are allowed at this stage. Following these modifications, the “frozen” code is passed over the fully un-blind data, completing the blind analysis. As a check of the feasibility of the blind analysis procedure, analysts completed a “mock data challenge,” analyzing data from Au + Au collisions at sNN=27 GeV, collected in 2018. The Au + Au data were prepared in the same manner intended for the isobar blind data. The details of the blind analysis procedure and results from the mock data challenge are presented.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0321524