D-meson production in Pb-Pb collisions with ALICE at the LHC

Abstract

Heavy quarks, like charm and beauty, are sensitive probes to investigate the colour-deconfined medium created in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). The ALICE Collaboration measured the production of D$^{0}$, D$^{+}$, D$^{*+}$ and D$_{\mathrm{s}}^{+}$ in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm {NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV. The measurement of the nuclear modification factor ($R_{\rm {AA}}$) provides informations on the in-medium parton energy loss. In addition, the comparison between D$_{\mathrm{s}}^{+}$ and the non-strange D-meson $R_{\rm {AA}}$ allows to investigate possible modifications of the charm-quark hadronisation mechanism in the QGP. The most recent results for these observables, which were obtained by analysing the latest 2018 data sample of Pb-Pb collisions, are presented as well as the comparison with theoretical model calculations.