Energy dependence of π±, p and p¯ transverse momentum spectra for Au+Au collisions at sNN=62.4 and 200 GeV

We study the energy dependence of the transverse momentum (pT) spectra for charged pions, protons and anti-protons for Au+Au collisions at sNN=62.4 and 200 GeV. Data are presented at mid-rapidity (|y|<0.5) for 0.27GeV/c) the modification is similar for both energies. The p/π+ and p¯/π− ratios for central collisions at sNN=62.4GeV peak at pT≃2GeV/c. In the pT range where recombination is expected to dominate, the p/π+ ratios at 62.4 GeV are larger than at 200 GeV, while the p¯/π− ratios are smaller. For pT>2GeV/c, the p¯/π− ratios at the two beam energies are independent of pT and centrality indicating that the dependence of the p¯/π− ratio on pT does not change between 62.4 and 200 GeV. These findings challenge various models incorporating jet quenching and/or constituent quark coalescence.