| Abstract: | In 2018, the STAR collaboration collected data from
$_{44}^{96}Ru+_{44}^{96}Ru$ and $_{40}^{96}Zr+_{40}^{96}Zr$ at
$sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV to search for the presence of the chiral magnetic
effect in collisions of nuclei. The isobar collision species alternated
frequently between $_{44}^{96}Ru+_{44}^{96}Ru$ and $_{40}^{96}Zr+_{40}^{96}Zr$.
In order to conduct blind analyses of studies related to the chiral magnetic
effect in these isobar data, STAR developed a three-step blind analysis
procedure. Analysts are initially provided a "reference sample" of data,
comprised of a mix of events from the two species, the order of which respects
time-dependent changes in run conditions. After tuning analysis codes and
performing time-dependent quality assurance on the reference sample, analysts
are provided a species-blind sample suitable for calculating efficiencies and
corrections for individual $approx30$-minute data-taking runs. For this
sample, species-specific information is disguised, but individual output files
contain data from a single isobar species. Only run-by-run corrections and code
alteration subsequent to these corrections are allowed at this stage. Following
these modifications, the "frozen" code is passed over the fully un-blind data,
completing the blind analysis. As a check of the feasibility of the blind
analysis procedure, analysts completed a "mock data challenge," analyzing data
from $Au+Au$ collisions at $sqrt{s_{NN}}=27$ GeV, collected in 2018. The
$Au+Au$ data were prepared in the same manner intended for the isobar blind
data. The details of the blind analysis procedure and results from the mock
data challenge are presented. |
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