Prompt photon and inclusive π0 production at RHIC and LHC

Abstract We present results for prompt photon and inclusive π0 production in p-p and A-A collisions at RHIC and LHC energies. We include the full next-to-leading order radiative corrections and nuclear effects, such as nuclear shadowing and parton energy loss. We find the next-to-leading order corrections to be large and pT dependent. We show how measurements of π0 production at RHIC and LHC, at large PT, can provide valuable information about the nature of parton energy loss. We calculate the ratio of prompt photons to neutral pions and show that at RHIC energies this ratio increases with pT approaching one at pT ∼ 10 GeV, due to the large suppression of π0 production. We show that at the LHC, this ratio has steep pT dependence and approaches 10% effect at pT ∼ 20 GeV.