Azimuthal $\gamma-h^{\pm}$ and $\pi^0-h^{\pm}$ jet correlations in 200 GeV CuCu collisions at RHIC

Azimuthal 2-particle jet correlations involving direct photons provide an important opportunity to study energy loss and jet fragmentation in the dense nuclear medium produced in heavy-ion collisions. A promising analysis technique is the statistical subtraction method, which involves obtaining direct $\gamma-h^{\pm}$ jet pairs by removing the decay component from inclusive $\gamma-h^{\pm}$ jet pairs. A description of this process is presented in addition to an update on recent results from the PHENIX experiment.