Measurement of $\omega$ meson production in pp and p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\text{NN}}=5.02~$TeV with ALICE

Abstract

The ALICE experiment at the LHC investigates the properties of the hot and dense nuclear matter created in heavy-ion collisions. By comparing the particle production in pp and p-Pb collisions, possible nuclear initial state effects can be isolated. Measurements of the $\omega$ meson $p_\text{T}$-spectra in pp and p-Pb collisions not only allow for a determination of the nuclear modification factor $R_\text{pPb}$, but also provide insight into the fragmentation process and serve as vital input for decay background simulations for direct photons. In this contribution, measurements of the $\omega$ meson production in pp and p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\text{NN}}=5.02~$TeV are presented. This includes the signal extraction and various corrections of the $\omega$ meson yields, leading to their production cross sections and the first measured nuclear modification factor $R_\text{pPb}$ of the $\omega$ meson at LHC energies.