Measurement of π⁰ and η mesons as a function of transverse momentum in p+p collisions at √s=200 GeV with the sPHENIX detector

The sPHENIX experiment was built with tracking and calorimetry detectors in order to measure high energy probes of the quark gluon plasma. Previously measured observables can provide useful cross checks of detector performance and calibration. This talk presents the measurement of the invariant cross-sections of the π⁰ and η neutral mesons as a function of their transverse momentum (p_T). This measurement was taken with p+p collisions at √s = 200 GeV with the sPHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in 2024. The mesons themselves are reconstructed through their decay into two photons, which are then detected by sPHENIX's electromagnetic calorimeter. Reconstructed mesons are reported for pseudorapidity ranges of |y|<1.1 and between 2 GeV < p_T < 8 GeV for the π⁰ and 2 GeV < p_T < 20 GeV for the η. Results are then compared to Monte Carlo simulation and next-to-leading order QCD calculations.