A two-component model for identified-hadron $\bf p_t$ spectra from 5 TeV p-Pb collisions

Abstract

In preparation for the heavy ion program at the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) $d$-Au collisions were designated as a control experiment for possible discovery of a quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in more-central Au-Au collisions, and contrasting results from the two systems seemed to support such a discovery. In contrast, recent results ($p_t$-spectrum and angular-correlation features) from $p$-Pb collisions at the large hadron collider (LHC) have been interpreted to support claims of hydrodynamic flows and QGP formation even in small collision systems. The present study addresses such claims via a two-component (soft + hard) model (TCM) of identified-hadron (PID) $p_t$ spectra from 5 TeV $p$-Pb collisions. $p$-Pb centrality is adopted from a previous study of ensemble-mean $\bar p_t$ data from the same system. $p$-Pb $p_t$ spectra for pions, kaons, protons and Lambdas are described by the TCM within their point-to-point uncertainties. Invariance of the TCM hard component vs $p$-Pb centrality indicates that jet formation remains unchanged in $p$-Pb collisions relative to $p$-$p$ collisions, and radial-flow contributions to spectra are negligible. These $p$-Pb TCM results have implications for interpretation of similar data features from A-A collisions in terms of QGP formation.