Direct virtual photon production in Au plus Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV STAR Collaboration

We report the direct virtual photon invariant yields in the transverse momentum ranges 1 < P-T < 3 GeV/c and 5 < p(T) < 10 GeV/c at mid-rapidity derived from the dielectron invariant mass continuum region 0.10 < M-ee < 0.28 GeV/c(2) for 0-80% minimum-bias Au+Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. A clear excess in the invariant yield compared to the nuclear overlap function T-AA scaled p + p reference is observed in the p(T) range 1 < P-T < 3 GeV/c. For P-T > 6 GeV/c the production follows T-AA scaling. Model calculations with contributions from thermal radiation and initial hard parton scattering are consistent within uncertainties with the direct virtual photon invariant yield.