The invariant differential cross section for inclusive neutral-pion production in $p+p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$ has been measured at midrapidity ($|\eta |<0.35$) over the range $1<p_T\lesssim 14\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/c$ by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Predictions of next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations are consistent with these measurements. The precision of our result is sufficient to differentiate between prevailing gluon-to-pion fragmentation functions.

• Received 28 April 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.241803