arXiv subjects

ALICE Collaboration

Publications and source records attributed to ALICE Collaboration.

At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Flow dominance and factorization of transverse momentum correlations in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

We present the first measurement of the two-particle transverse momentum differential correlation function, $P_2\equiv\langle Δp_{\rm T} Δp_{\rm T} \rangle /\langle p_{\rm T} \rangle^2$, in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} =$ 2.76 TeV. Results for $P_2$ are reported as a function of relative pseudorapidity ($Δη$) and azimuthal angle ($Δφ$) between two particles for different collision centralities. The $Δϕ$ dependence is found to be largely independent of $Δη$ for $|Δη| \geq$ 0.9. In 5% most central Pb-Pb collisions, the two-particle transverse momentum correlation function exhibits a clear double-hump structure around $Δφ= π$ (i.e., on the away side), which is not observed in number correlations in the same centrality range, and thus provides an indication of the dominance of triangular flow in this collision centrality. Fourier decompositions of $P_2$, studied as a function of collision centrality, show that correlations at $|Δη| \geq$ 0.9 can be well reproduced by a flow ansatz based on the notion that measured momentum correlations are strictly determined by the collective motion of the system.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Measurement of azimuthal correlations of D mesons and charged particles in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV

The azimuthal correlations of D mesons and charged particles were measured with the ALICE detector in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. D$^0$, D$^+$, and D$^{*+}$ mesons and their charge conjugates with transverse momentum $3 0.3$ Gev/$c$. The properties of the correlation peak induced by the jet containing the D meson, described in terms of the yield of charged particles in the peak and peak width, are compatible within uncertainties between the two collision systems, and described by Monte-Carlo simulations based on the PYTHIA, POWHEG and EPOS 3 event generators.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Measurement of dijet $k_{\rm T}$ in p-Pb collisions at ${\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02}$ TeV

A measurement of dijet correlations in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector is presented. Jets are reconstructed from charged particles measured in the central tracking detectors and neutral energy deposited in the electromagnetic calorimeter. The transverse momentum of the full jet (clustered from charged and neutral constituents) and charged jet (clustered from charged particles only) is corrected event-by-event for the contribution of the underlying event, while corrections for underlying event fluctuations and finite detector resolution are applied on an inclusive basis. A projection of the dijet transverse momentum, $k_{\rm Ty} = p_\rm{T,jet}^\rm{ch+ne} \; \rm{sin}(Δφ_{\rm{dijet}})$ with $Δφ_{\rm{dijet}}$ the azimuthal angle between a full and charged jet and $p_\rm{T,jet}^\rm{ch+ne}$ the transverse momentum of the full jet, is used to study nuclear matter effects in p-Pb collisions. This observable is sensitive to the acoplanarity of dijet production and its potential modification in p-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions. Measurements of the dijet $k_{\rm Ty}$ as a function of the transverse momentum of the full and recoil charged jet, and the event multiplicity are presented. No significant modification of $k_{\rm Ty}$ due to nuclear matter effects in p-Pb collisions with respect to the event multiplicity or a PYTHIA8 reference is observed.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Enhanced production of multi-strange hadrons in high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions

At sufficiently high temperature and energy density, nuclear matter undergoes a transition to a phase in which quarks and gluons are not confined: the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) [1]. Such an extreme state of strongly-interacting QCD (Quantum Chromo-Dynamics) matter is produced in the laboratory with high-energy collisions of heavy nuclei, where an enhanced production of strange hadrons is observed [2-6]. Strangeness enhancement, originally proposed as a signature of QGP formation in nuclear collisions [7], is more pronounced for multi-strange baryons. Several effects typical of heavy-ion phenomenology have been observed in high-multiplicity proton-proton (pp) collisions [8,9]. Yet, enhanced production of multi-strange particles has not been reported so far. Here we present the first observation of strangeness enhancement in high-multiplicity pp collisions. We find that the integrated yields of strange and multi-strange particles relative to pions increases significantly with the event charged-particle multiplicity. The measurements are in remarkable agreement with p-Pb collision results [10,11] indicating that the phenomenon is related to the final system created in the collision. In high-multiplicity events strangeness production reaches values similar to those observed in Pb-Pb collisions, where a QGP is formed.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Measurement of charm production at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV

The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections of the prompt (B feed-down subtracted) charmed mesons D$^0$, D$^+$, and D$^{*+}$ in the rapidity range $|y|<0.5$, and for transverse momentum $1< p_{\rm T} <12$ GeV/$c$, were measured in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis exploited the hadronic decays D$^0 \rightarrow $K$π$, D$^+ \rightarrow $K$ππ$, D$^{*+} \rightarrow $D$^0π$, and their charge conjugates, and was performed on a $L_{\rm int} = 1.1$ nb$^{-1}$ event sample collected in 2011 with a minimum-bias trigger. The total charm production cross section at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV and at 7 TeV was evaluated by extrapolating to the full phase space the $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV and our previous measurements at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV. The results were compared to existing measurements and to perturbative-QCD calculations. The fraction of cdbar D mesons produced in a vector state was also determined.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

J/$ψ$ suppression at forward rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV

The ALICE experiment has measured the inclusive J/$ψ$ production in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}} } = 2.76$ TeV down to zero transverse momentum in the rapidity range $2.5 < y < 4$. A suppression of the inclusive J/$ψ$ yield in Pb-Pb is observed with respect to the one measured in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The nuclear modification factor, integrated over the 0-80% most central collisions, is $0.545 \pm 0.032 \rm{(stat.)} \pm 0.083 \rm{(syst.)}$ and does not exhibit a significant dependence on the collision centrality. These features appear significantly different from measurements at lower collision energies. Models including J/$ψ$ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase can describe our data.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Transverse sphericity of primary charged particles in minimum bias proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$, 2.76 and 7 TeV

Measurements of the sphericity of primary charged particles in minimum bias proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$, 2.76 and 7 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. The observable is linearized to be collinear safe and is measured in the plane perpendicular to the beam direction using primary charged tracks with $p_{\rm T}\geq0.5$ GeV/c in $|η|\leq0.8$. The mean sphericity as a function of the charged particle multiplicity at mid-rapidity ($N_{\rm ch}$) is reported for events with different $p_{\rm T}$ scales ("soft" and "hard") defined by the transverse momentum of the leading particle. In addition, the mean charged particle transverse momentum versus multiplicity is presented for the different event classes, and the sphericity distributions in bins of multiplicity are presented. The data are compared with calculations of standard Monte Carlo event generators. The transverse sphericity is found to grow with multiplicity at all collision energies, with a steeper rise at low $N_{\rm ch}$, whereas the event generators show the opposite tendency. The combined study of the sphericity and the mean $p_{\rm T}$ with multiplicity indicates that most of the tested event generators produce events with higher multiplicity by generating more back-to-back jets resulting in decreased sphericity (and isotropy). The PYTHIA6 generator with tune PERUGIA-2011 exhibits a noticeable improvement in describing the data, compared to the other tested generators.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Centrality, rapidity and transverse momentum dependence of $J/ψ$ suppression in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$=2.76 TeV

The inclusive $J/ψ$ nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$=2.76 TeV has been measured by ALICE as a function of centrality in the e$^+$e$^-$ decay channel at mid-rapidity $|y|<0.8$ and as a function of centrality, transverse momentum and rapidity in the $μ^{+}μ^{-}$ decay channel at forward-rapidity $2.5<y<4$.The $J/ψ$ yields measured in Pb-Pb are suppressed compared to those in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary collisions. The $R_{\rm AA}$ integrated over a centrality range corresponding to 90% of the inelastic Pb-Pb cross section is $0.72\pm0.06$ (stat.) $\pm0.10$ (syst.) at mid-rapidity and $0.57 \pm 0.01$ (stat.) $\pm0.09$ (syst.) at forward-rapidity. At low transverse momentum, significantly larger values of $R_{\rm AA}$ are measured at forward-rapidity compared to measurements at lower energy. These features suggest that a contribution to the $J/ψ$ yield originates from charm quarks (re)combination in the deconfined partonic medium.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

D meson elliptic flow in non-central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76TeV

Azimuthally anisotropic distributions of D$^0$, D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$ mesons were studied in the central rapidity region ($|y|<0.8$) in Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV per nucleon-nucleon collision, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The second Fourier coefficient $v_2$ (commonly denoted elliptic flow) was measured in the centrality class 30-50% as a function of the D meson transverse momentum $p_{\rm T}$, in the range 2-16 GeV/$c$. The measured $v_2$ of D mesons is comparable in magnitude to that of light-flavour hadrons. It is positive in the range $2 < p_{\rm T} < 6$ GeV/$c$ with $5.7σ$ significance, based on the combination of statistical and systematic uncertainties.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Production of muons from heavy flavour decays at forward rapidity in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration has measured the inclusive production of muons from heavy flavour decays at forward rapidity, 2.5 < y < 4, in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential inclusive cross section of muons from heavy flavour decays in pp collisions is compared to perturbative QCD calculations. The nuclear modification factor is studied as a function of pt and collision centrality. A weak suppression is measured in peripheral collisions. In the most central collisions, a suppression of a factor of about 3-4 is observed in 6 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 10 GeV/$c$. The suppression shows no significant $p_{\rm T}$ dependence.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Suppression of high transverse momentum D mesons in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76$ TeV

The production of the prompt charm mesons $D^0$, $D^+$, $D^{*+}$, and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV per nucleon--nucleon collision. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production yields in the range $2<p_{\rm T}<16$ GeV/c at central rapidity, $|y|<0.5$, were used to calculate the nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ with respect to a proton-proton reference obtained from the cross section measured at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and scaled to $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV. For the three meson species, $R_{AA}$ shows a suppression by a factor 3-4, for transverse momenta larger than 5 GeV/c in the 20% most central collisions. The suppression is reduced for peripheral collisions.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

K$^0_s$K$^0_s$ correlations in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV from the LHC ALICE experiment

Identical neutral kaon pair correlations are measured in $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV pp collisions in the ALICE experiment. One-dimensional K$^0_s$K$^0_s$ correlation functions in terms of the invariant momentum difference of kaon pairs are formed in two multiplicity and two transverse momentum ranges. The femtoscopic parameters for the radius and correlation strength of the kaon source are extracted. The f${\rm i}$t includes quantum statistics and final-state interactions of the a$_0$/f$_0$ resonance. K$^0_s$K$^0_s$ correlations show an increase in radius for increasing multiplicity and a slight decrease in radius for increasing transverse mass, $m_{\rm T}$, as seen in $ππ$ correlations in the pp system and in heavy-ion collisions. Transverse mass scaling is observed between the K$^0_s$K$^0_s$ and $ππ$ radii. Also, the f${\rm i}$rst observation is made of the decay of the f$_2'$(1525) meson into the K$^0_s$K$^0_s$ channel in pp collisions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Neutral pion and $η$ meson production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV

The first measurements of the invariant differential cross sections of inclusive $π^0$ and $η$ meson production at mid-rapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV are reported. The $π^0$ measurement covers the ranges $0.4<p_T<7$ GeV/$c$ and $0.3<p_T<25$ GeV/$c$ for these two energies, respectively. The production of $η$ mesons was measured at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV in the range $0.4<p_T<15$ GeV/$c$. Next-to-Leading Order perturbative QCD calculations, which are consistent with the $π^0$ spectrum at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$ TeV, overestimate those of $π^0$ and $η$ mesons at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, but agree with the measured $η/π^0$ ratio at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Coherent J/$ψ$ photoproduction in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV

The ALICE collaboration has made the first measurement at the LHC of J/$ψ$ photoproduction in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb-collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV. The J/$ψ$ is identified via its dimuon decay in the forward rapidity region with the muon spectrometer for events where the hadronic activity is required to be minimal. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 55 $μ$b$^{-1}$. The cross section for coherent J/$ψ$ production in the rapidity interval $-3.6 < y < -2.6$ is measured to be d$σ$/d$y = 1.00 \pm 0.18$ (stat) $+0.24/-0.26$ (syst) mb. The result is compared to theoretical models for coherent J/$ψ$ production and found to be in good agreement with models which include nuclear gluon shadowing.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Production of K$^{*}$(892)$^{0}$ and $ϕ$(1020) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV

The production of K$^{*}$(892)$^{0}$ and $ϕ$(1020) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV was measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The yields and the transverse momentum spectra d$^{2}$N/d$y$d$p_{\rm T}$ at midrapidity $|y|<0.5$ in the range $0<p_{\rm T}<6$ GeV/$c$ for K$^{*}$(892)$^{0}$ and $0.4<p_{\rm T}<6$ GeV/$c$ for $ϕ$(1020) are reported and compared to model predictions. Using the yield of pions, kaons, and Omega baryons measured previously by ALICE at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, the ratios K$^{*}$/K$^{-}$, $ϕ$/K$^{*}$, $ϕ$/K$^{-}$, $ϕ/π^{-}$, and ($Ω$ + $\overlineΩ$)/$ϕ$ are presented. The values of the K$^{*}$/K$^{-}$, $ϕ$/K$^{*}$ and $ϕ$/K$^{-}$ ratios are similar to those found at lower centre-of-mass energies. In contrast, the $ϕ/π^{-}$ ratio, which has been observed to increase with energy, seems to saturate above 200 GeV. The ($Ω$ + $\overlineΩ$)/$ϕ$ ratio in the $p_{\rm T}$ range $1$-$5$ GeV/$c$ is found to be in good agreement with the prediction of the HIJING/BB v2.0 model with a strong colour field.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Charged-particle multiplicities in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9 to 8 TeV

A detailed study of pseudorapidity densities and multiplicity distributions of primary charged particles produced in proton-proton collisions, at $\sqrt{s} =$ 0.9, 2.36, 2.76, 7 and 8 TeV, in the pseudorapidity range $|η|<2$, was carried out using the ALICE detector. Measurements were obtained for three event classes: inelastic, non-single diffractive and events with at least one charged particle in the pseudorapidity interval $|η|<1$. The use of an improved track-counting algorithm combined with ALICE's measurements of diffractive processes allows a higher precision compared to our previous publications. A KNO scaling study was performed in the pseudorapidity intervals $|η|<$ 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5. The data are compared to other experimental results and to models as implemented in Monte Carlo event generators PHOJET and recent tunes of PYTHIA6, PYTHIA8 and EPOS.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Determination of the event collision time with the ALICE detector at the LHC

Particle identification is an important feature of the ALICE detector at the LHC. In particular, for particle identification via the time-of-flight technique, the precise determination of the event collision time represents an important ingredient of the quality of the measurement. In this paper, the different methods used for such a measurement in ALICE by means of the T0 and the TOF detectors are reviewed. Efficiencies, resolution and the improvement of the particle identification separation power of the methods used are presented for the different LHC colliding systems (pp , p-Pb and Pb-Pb) during the first period of data taking of LHC (Run 1).

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

Higher harmonic flow coefficients of identified hadrons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV

The elliptic, triangular, quadrangular and pentagonal anisotropic flow coefficients for $π^{\pm}$, $\mathrm{K}^{\pm}$ and p+$\overline{\mathrm{p}}$ in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 2.76$ TeV were measured with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The results were obtained with the Scalar Product method, correlating the identified hadrons with reference particles from a different pseudorapidity region. Effects not related to the common event symmetry planes (non-flow) were estimated using correlations in pp collisions and were subtracted from the measurement. The obtained flow coefficients exhibit a clear mass ordering for transverse momentum ($p_{\mathrm{T}}$) values below $\approx$ 3 GeV/$c$. In the intermediate $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ region ($3 < p_{\mathrm{T}} < 6$ GeV/$c$), particles group at an approximate level according to the number of constituent quarks, suggesting that coalescence might be the relevant particle production mechanism in this region. The results for $p_{\mathrm{T}} < 3$ GeV/$c$ are described fairly well by a hydrodynamical model (iEBE-VISHNU) that uses initial conditions generated by A Multi-Phase Transport model (AMPT) and describes the expansion of the fireball using a value of 0.08 for the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density ($η/s$), coupled to a hadronic cascade model (UrQMD). Finally, expectations from AMPT alone fail to quantitatively describe the measurements for all harmonics throughout the measured transverse momentum region. However, the comparison to the AMPT model highlights the importance of the late hadronic rescattering stage to the development of the observed mass ordering at low values of $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ and of coalescence as a particle production mechanism for the particle type grouping at intermediate values of $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ for all harmonics.

nucl-ex↗