Systematic study of high-pT di-jet correlations in nuclear collisions with the PHENIX experiment at RHIC

This thesis represents the first systematic study of jet properties in nuclear collisions. Jet properties using two-particle azimuthal correlations in p+p collisions serve as a necessary baseline for the potential modification of jet properties in nuclear collisions. The work is focused on jet shapes and yields from p+p through Au+Au collisions in an attempt to characterize the cold and hot, dense nuclear matter effects on jets. The data were collected in consecutive runs under similar running conditions from December 2002 to May 2003  and from January-May 2004 in PHENIX, RHIC.