In ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions, the event-by-event variation of the elliptic flow v2 reflects fluctuations in the shape of the initial state of the system. This allows to select events ...with the same centrality but different initial geometry. This selection technique, Event Shape Engineering, has been used in the analysis of charge-dependent two- and three-particle correlations in Pb–Pb collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV. The two-particle correlator 〈cos(φα−φβ)〉, calculated for different combinations of charges α and β, is almost independent of v2 (for a given centrality), while the three-particle correlator 〈cos(φα+φβ−2Ψ2)〉 scales almost linearly both with the event v2 and charged-particle pseudorapidity density. The charge dependence of the three-particle correlator is often interpreted as evidence for the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME), a parity violating effect of the strong interaction. However, its measured dependence on v2 points to a large non-CME contribution to the correlator. Comparing the results with Monte Carlo calculations including a magnetic field due to the spectators, the upper limit of the CME signal contribution to the three-particle correlator in the 10–50% centrality interval is found to be 26–33% at 95% confidence level.
The production of prompt D0, Ds+, and Λc+ hadrons, and their ratios, Ds+/D0 and Λc+/D0, are measured in proton–proton collisions at s=13 TeV at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) with the ALICE detector at the ...LHC. The measurements are performed as a function of the charm-hadron transverse momentum (pT) in intervals of charged-particle multiplicity, measured with two multiplicity estimators covering different pseudorapidity regions. While the strange to non-strange Ds+/D0 ratio indicates no significant multiplicity dependence, the baryon-to-meson pT-differential Λc+/D0 ratio shows a multiplicity-dependent enhancement, with a significance of 5.3σ for 1<pT<12 GeV/c, comparing the highest multiplicity interval with respect to the lowest one. The measurements are compared with a theoretical model that explains the multiplicity dependence by a canonical treatment of quantum charges in the statistical hadronisation approach, and with predictions from event generators that implement colour reconnection mechanisms beyond the leading colour approximation to model the hadronisation process. The Λc+/D0 ratios as a function of pT present a similar shape and magnitude as the Λ/KS0 ratios in comparable multiplicity intervals, suggesting a potential common mechanism for light- and charm-hadron formation, with analogous multiplicity dependence. The pT-integrated ratios, extrapolated down to pT=0, do not show a significant dependence on multiplicity within the uncertainties.
The differential invariant yield as a function of transverse momentum (pT) of electrons from semileptonic heavy-flavour hadron decays was measured at midrapidity in central (0–10%), semi-central ...(30–50%) and peripheral (60–80%) lead–lead (Pb–Pb) collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV in the pT intervals 0.5–26 GeV/c (0–10% and 30–50%) and 0.5–10 GeV/c (60–80%). The production cross section in proton–proton (pp) collisions at s=5.02 TeV was measured as well in 0.5<pT<10 GeV/c and it lies close to the upper band of perturbative QCD calculation uncertainties up to pT=5 GeV/c and close to the mean value for larger pT. The modification of the electron yield with respect to what is expected for an incoherent superposition of nucleon–nucleon collisions is evaluated by measuring the nuclear modification factor RAA. The measurement of the RAA in different centrality classes allows in-medium energy loss of charm and beauty quarks to be investigated. The RAA shows a suppression with respect to unity at intermediate pT, which increases while moving towards more central collisions. Moreover, the measured RAA is sensitive to the modification of the parton distribution functions (PDF) in nuclei, like nuclear shadowing, which causes a suppression of the heavy-quark production at low pT in heavy-ion collisions at LHC.
Measurements of the inclusive J/ψ yield as a function of charged-particle pseudorapidity density dNch/dη in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with ALICE at the LHC are reported. The J/ψ meson yield is ...measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.9) in the dielectron channel, for events selected based on the charged-particle multiplicity at midrapidity (|η|<1) and at forward rapidity (−3.7<η<−1.7 and 2.8<η<5.1); both observables are normalized to their corresponding averages in minimum bias events. The increase of the normalized J/ψ yield with normalized dNch/dη is significantly stronger than linear and dependent on the transverse momentum. The data are compared to theoretical predictions, which describe the observed trends well, albeit not always quantitatively.
The second and the third order anisotropic flow, V2 and V3, are mostly determined by the corresponding initial spatial anisotropy coefficients, ε2 and ε3, in the initial density distribution. In ...addition to their dependence on the same order initial anisotropy coefficient, higher order anisotropic flow, Vn (n>3), can also have a significant contribution from lower order initial anisotropy coefficients, which leads to mode-coupling effects. In this Letter we investigate the linear and non-linear modes in higher order anisotropic flow Vn for n=4, 5, 6 with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are done for particles in the pseudorapidity range |η|<0.8 and the transverse momentum range 0.2<pT<5.0 GeV/c as a function of collision centrality. The results are compared with theoretical calculations and provide important constraints on the initial conditions, including initial spatial geometry and its fluctuations, as well as the ratio of the shear viscosity to entropy density of the produced system.
The pT-differential cross sections of prompt charm-strange baryons Ξc0 and Ξc+ were measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy s=13 TeV with the ...ALICE detector at the LHC. The Ξc0 baryon was reconstructed via both the semileptonic decay (Ξ-e+νe) and the hadronic decay (Ξ-π+) channels. The Ξc+ baryon was reconstructed via the hadronic decay (Ξ-π+π+) channel. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ξc0→Ξ-e+νe)/BR(Ξc0→Ξ-π+)=1.38±0.14(stat)±0.22(syst) was measured with a total uncertainty reduced by a factor of about 3 with respect to the current world average reported by the Particle Data Group. The transverse momentum (pT) dependence of the Ξc0- and Ξc+-baryon production relative to the D0 meson and to the ςc0,+,++- and Λc+-baryon production are reported. The baryon-to-meson ratio increases toward low pT up to a value of approximately 0.3. The measurements are compared with various models that take different hadronization mechanisms into consideration. The results provide stringent constraints to these theoretical calculations and additional evidence that different processes are involved in charm hadronization in electron-positron (e+e-) and hadronic collisions.
The study of (anti-)deuteron production in pp collisions has proven to be a powerful tool to investigate the formation mechanism of loosely bound states in high-energy hadronic collisions. In this ...paper the production of
(anti-)deuterons
is studied as a function of the charged particle multiplicity in inelastic pp collisions at
s
=
13
TeV using the ALICE experiment. Thanks to the large number of accumulated minimum bias events, it has been possible to measure (anti-)deuteron production in pp collisions up to the same charged particle multiplicity (
d
N
ch
/
d
η
∼
26
) as measured in p–Pb collisions at similar centre-of-mass energies. Within the uncertainties, the deuteron yield in pp collisions resembles the one in p–Pb interactions, suggesting a common formation mechanism behind the production of light nuclei in hadronic interactions. In this context the measurements are compared with the expectations of coalescence and statistical hadronisation models (SHM).
The inclusive J/ψ meson production in Pb–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon–nucleon collision of sNN=5.02 TeV at midrapidity (|y|<0.9) is reported by the ALICE Collaboration. The ...measurements are performed in the dielectron decay channel, as a function of event centrality and J/ψ transverse momentum pT, down to pT=0. The J/ψ mean transverse momentum 〈pT〉 and rAA ratio, defined as 〈pT2〉PbPb/〈pT2〉pp, are evaluated. Both observables show a centrality dependence decreasing towards central (head-on) collisions. The J/ψ nuclear modification factor RAA exhibits a strong pT dependence with a large suppression at high pT and an increase to unity for decreasing pT. When integrating over the measured momentum range pT<10GeV/c, the J/ψRAA shows a weak centrality dependence. Each measurement is compared with results at lower center-of-mass energies and with ALICE measurements at forward rapidity, as well as to theory calculations. All reported features of the J/ψ production at low pT are consistent with a dominant contribution to the J/ψ yield originating from charm quark (re)combination.
A
bstract
The inclusive J/
ψ
elliptic (
v
2
) and triangular (
v
3
) flow coefficients measured at forward rapidity (2
.
5
< y <
4) and the
v
2
measured at midrapidity (|
y
|
<
0
.
9) in Pb-Pb ...collisions at
s
NN
= 5
.
02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported. The entire Pb-Pb data sample collected during Run 2 is employed, amounting to an integrated luminosity of 750
μ
b
−
1
at forward rapidity and 93
μ
b
−
1
at midrapidity. The results are obtained using the scalar product method and are reported as a function of transverse momentum
p
T
and collision centrality. At midrapidity, the J/
ψ v
2
is in agreement with the forward rapidity measurement. The centrality averaged results indicate a positive J/
ψ v
3
with a significance of more than 5
σ
at forward rapidity in the
p
T
range 2
< p
T
<
5 GeV/
c
. The forward rapidity
v
2
,
v
3
, and
v
3
/v
2
results at low and intermediate
p
T
(
p
T
≲ 8 GeV/
c
) exhibit a mass hierarchy when compared to pions and D mesons, while converging into a species-independent curve at higher
p
T
. At low and intermediate
p
T
, the results could be interpreted in terms of a later thermalization of charm quarks compared to light quarks, while at high
p
T
, path-length dependent effects seem to dominate. The J/
ψ v
2
measurements are further compared to a microscopic transport model calculation. Using a simplified extension of the quark scaling approach involving both light and charm quark flow components, it is shown that the D-meson
v
n
measurements can be described based on those for charged pions and J/
ψ
flow.
The production of ϒ mesons in Pb–Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sNN=5.02 TeV is measured with the muon spectrometer of the ALICE detector at the LHC. The yields as well as ...the nuclear modification factors are determined in the forward rapidity region 2.5<y<4.0, as a function of rapidity, transverse momentum and collision centrality. The results show that the production of the ϒ(1S) meson is suppressed by a factor of about three with respect to the production in proton–proton collisions. For the first time, a significant signal for the ϒ(2S) meson is observed at forward rapidity, indicating a suppression stronger by about a factor 2–3 with respect to the ground state. The measurements are compared with transport, hydrodynamic, comover and statistical hadronisation model calculations.
PDF
