Particle Identification for Electron-Positron Pairs in Ultraperipheral Collisions at RHIC

At RHIC (Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider), two atomic nuclei are accelerated to near the speed of light in opposite directions. Ultraperipheral collisions occur when these two nuclei interact in such a way that they have an impact parameter greater than twice their nuclear radius. While the nuclei continue along the beam line, particles are produced from the intense electromagnetic interaction. Studying direct electron-positron pairs can aid in understanding the quantum electrodynamics involved due to these intense fields. This talk will discuss different particle identification methods used by STAR in relation to electron-positron pair production in ultraperipheral interactions.