Investigating the Path-Length Dependence of Jet Energy Loss Using Event-Shape Engineering in STAR Au-Au √s_NN = 200 GeV Collisions

In 2019, the STAR experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory collected data for √s_NN = 200 GeV Au-Au collisions. Using this data, we investigate the existence of a path-length dependent energy loss mechanism for charged-particle jets. Jets are reconstructed using the anti-k_T algorithm with a resolution parameter of R=0.4. The method of Event-Shape Engineering is utilized to select on events with the 10% highest and lowest eccentricity for various centrality classes. This is determined by calculating the second-order reduced flow harmonic, q₂, using charged particle tracks measured by the STAR time projection chamber (TPC). We compare the yields of jets reconstructed in-plane vs. out-of-plane with respect to the event plane angle of the events. We find that there exists a suppression of out-of-plane jets with respect to in-plane jets for various centrality classes and p_T bins. These results agree with Pb-Pb studies performed at the Large Hadron Collider at higher energies. This suggests a universal azimuthal anisotropy of jet yields for eccentric events at both high and low √s_NN energies.