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Collective behavior has been observed in high-energy heavy-ion collisions for several decades. Collectivity is driven by the high particle multiplicities that are produced in these collisions. At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), features of collectivity have also been seen in high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions that can attain particle multiplicities comparable to peripheral Pb-Pb collisions. One of the possible signatures of collective behavior is the decrease of femtoscopic radii extracted from pion and kaon pairs emitted from high-multiplicity collisions with increasing pair transverse momentum. This decrease can be described in terms of an approximate transverse mass scaling. In the present work, femtoscopic analyses are carried out by the ALICE collaboration on charged pion and kaon pairs produced in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV from the LHC to study possible collectivity in pp collisions. The event-shape analysis method based on transverse sphericity is used to select for spherical versus jet-like events, and the effects of this selection on the femtoscopic radii for both charged pion and kaon pairs are studied. This is the first time this selection method has been applied to charged kaon pairs. An approximate transverse-mass scaling of the radii is found in all multiplicity ranges studied when the difference in the Lorentz boost for pions and kaons is taken into account. This observation does not support the hypothesis of collective expansion of hot and dense matter that should only occur in high-multiplicity events. A possible alternate explanation of the present results is based on a scenario of common emission conditions for pions and kaons in pp collisions for the multiplicity ranges studied.
This Letter presents the most precise measurement to date of the matter/antimatter imbalance at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV. Using the Statistical Hadronization framework, it is possible to obtain the value of the electric charge and baryon chemical potentials, μQ=−0.18±0.90 MeV and μB=0.71±0.45 MeV, with unprecedented precision. A centrality-differential study of the antiparticle-to-particle yield ratios of charged pions, protons, Ω-baryons, and light (hyper)nuclei is performed. These results indicate that the system created in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC is on average baryon-free and electrically neutral at midrapidity.
K+K− pairs may be produced in photonuclear collisions, either from the decays of photoproduced ϕ(1020) mesons, or directly as non-resonant K+K− pairs. Measurements of K+K− photoproduction probe the couplings between the ϕ(1020) and charged kaons with photons and nuclear targets. We present the first measurement of coherent photoproduction of K+K− pairs on lead ions in ultra-peripheral collisions using the ALICE detector, including the first investigation of direct K+K− production. There is significant K+K− production at low transverse momentum, consistent with coherent photoproduction on lead targets. In the mass range 1.1<MKK<1.4 GeV/c2 above the ϕ(1020) resonance, for rapidity |yKK|<0.8 and pT,KK<0.1 GeV/c, the measured coherent photoproduction cross section is dσ/dy = 3.37 ± 0.61 (stat.) ± 0.15 (syst.) mb. The centre-of-mass energy per nucleon of the photon-nucleus (Pb) system WγPb,n ranges from 33 to 188 GeV, far higher than previous measurements on heavy-nucleus targets. The cross section is larger than expected for ϕ(1020) photoproduction alone. The mass spectrum is fit to a cocktail consisting of ϕ(1020) decays, direct K+K− photoproduction, and interference between the two. The confidence regions for the amplitude and relative phase angle for direct K+K− photoproduction are presented.
Results on the transverse spherocity dependence of light-flavor particle production (π, K, p, ϕ, K∗0, K0S, Λ, Ξ) at midrapidity in high-multiplicity pp collisions at s√=13 TeV were obtained with the ALICE apparatus. The transverse spherocity estimator (SpT=1O) categorizes events by their azimuthal topology. Utilizing narrow selections on SpT=1O, it is possible to contrast particle production in collisions dominated by many soft initial interactions with that observed in collisions dominated by one or more hard scatterings. Results are reported for two multiplicity estimators covering different pseudorapidity regions. The SpT=1O estimator is found to effectively constrain the hardness of the events when the midrapidity (|η|<0.8) estimator is used. The production rates of strange particles are found to be slightly higher for soft isotropic topologies, and severely suppressed in hard jet-like topologies. These effects are more pronounced for hadrons with larger mass and strangeness content, and observed when the topological selection is done within a narrow multiplicity interval. This demonstrates that an important aspect of the universal scaling of strangeness enhancement with final-state multiplicity is that high-multiplicity collisions are dominated by soft, isotropic processes. On the contrary, strangeness production in events with jet-like processes is significantly reduced. The results presented in this article are compared with several QCD-inspired Monte Carlo event generators. Models that incorporate a two-component phenomenology, either through mechanisms accounting for string density, or thermal production, are able to describe the observed strangeness enhancement as a function of SpT=1O.
The production of π±, K±, and (p¯¯¯)p is measured in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV in different topological regions. Particle transverse momentum (pT) spectra are measured in the ``toward'', ``transverse'', and ``away'' angular regions defined with respect to the direction of the leading particle in the event. While the toward and away regions contain the fragmentation products of the near-side and away-side jets, respectively, the transverse region is dominated by particles from the Underlying Event (UE). The relative transverse activity classifier, RT=NT/⟨NT⟩, is used to group events according to their UE activity, where NT is the measured charged-particle multiplicity per event in the transverse region and ⟨NT⟩ is the mean value over all the analysed events. The first measurements of identified particle pT spectra as a function of RT in the three topological regions are reported. The yield of high transverse momentum particles relative to the RT-integrated measurement decreases with increasing RT in both the toward and away regions, indicating that the softer UE dominates particle production as RT increases and validating that RT can be used to control the magnitude of the UE. Conversely, the spectral shapes in the transverse region harden significantly with increasing RT. This hardening follows a mass ordering, being more significant for heavier particles. The pT-differential particle ratios (p+p¯¯¯)/(π++π−) and (K++K−)/(π++π−) in the low UE limit (RT→0) approach expectations from Monte Carlo generators such as PYTHIA 8 with Monash 2013 tune and EPOS LHC, where the jet-fragmentation models have been tuned to reproduce e+e− results.
A new, more precise measurement of the Λ hyperon lifetime is performed using a large data sample of Pb−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV with ALICE. The Λ and Λ¯¯¯¯ hyperons are reconstructed at midrapidity using their two-body weak decay channel Λ→p+π− and Λ¯¯¯¯→p¯¯¯+π+. The measured value of the Λ lifetime is τΛ=[261.07±0.37 (stat.)±0.72 (syst.)] ps. The relative difference between the lifetime of Λ and Λ¯¯¯¯, which represents an important test of CPT invariance in the strangeness sector, is also measured. The obtained value (τΛ−τΛ¯¯¯¯)/τΛ=0.0013±0.0028 (stat.)±0.0021 (syst.) is consistent with zero within the uncertainties. Both measurements of the Λ hyperon lifetime and of the relative difference between τΛ and τΛ¯¯¯¯ are in agreement with the corresponding world averages of the Particle Data Group and about a factor of three more precise.
The measurement of the production of deuterons, tritons and 3He and their antiparticles in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV is presented in this article. The measurements are carried out at midrapidity (|y|< 0.5) as a function of collision centrality using the ALICE detector. The pT-integrated yields, the coalescence parameters and the ratios to protons and antiprotons are reported and compared with nucleosynthesis models. The comparison of these results in different collision systems at different centre-of-mass collision energies reveals a suppression of nucleus production in small systems. In the Statistical Hadronisation Model framework, this can be explained by a small correlation volume where the baryon number is conserved, as already shown in previous fluctuation analyses. However, a different size of the correlation volume is required to describe the proton yields in the same data sets. The coalescence model can describe this suppression by the fact that the wave functions of the nuclei are large and the fireball size starts to become comparable and even much smaller than the actual nucleus at low multiplicities.
Multiplicity (Nch) distributions and transverse momentum (pT) spectra of inclusive primary charged particles in the kinematic range of |η|<0.8 and 0.15 GeV/c <pT< 10 GeV/c are reported for pp, p-Pb, Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb collisions at centre-of-mass energies per nucleon pair ranging from sNN−−−√=2.76 TeV up to 13 TeV. A sequential two-dimensional unfolding procedure is used to extract the correlation between the transverse momentum of primary charged particles and the charged-particle multiplicity of the corresponding collision. This correlation sharply characterises important features of the final state of a collision and, therefore, can be used as a stringent test of theoretical models. The multiplicity distributions as well as the mean and standard deviation derived from the pT spectra are compared to state-of-the-art model predictions. Providing these fundamental observables of bulk particle production consistently across a wide range of collision energies and system sizes can serve as an important input for tuning Monte Carlo event generators.
The production of prompt Λ+c baryons has been measured at midrapidity in the transverse momentum interval 0<pT<1 GeV/c for the first time, in pp and p-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV. The measurement was performed in the decay channel Λ+c→pK0S by applying new decay reconstruction techniques using a Kalman-Filter vertexing algorithm and adopting a machine-learning approach for the candidate selection. The pT-integrated Λ+c production cross sections in both collision systems were determined and used along with the measured yields in Pb-Pb collisions to compute the pT-integrated nuclear modification factors RpPb and RAA of Λ+c baryons, which are compared to model calculations that consider nuclear modification of the parton distribution functions. The Λ+c/D0 baryon-to-meson yield ratio is reported for pp and p-Pb collisions. Comparisons with models that include modified hadronisation processes are presented, and the implications of the results on the understanding of charm hadronisation in hadronic collisions are discussed. A significant (3.7σ) modification of the mean transverse momentum of Λ+c baryons is seen in p-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions, while the pT-integrated Λ+c/D0 yield ratio was found to be consistent between the two collision systems within the uncertainties.
Investigation of K+K− interactions via femtoscopy in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV at the LHC
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Femtoscopic correlations of non-identical charged kaons (K+K−) are studied in Pb−Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon−nucleon collision sNN−−−√=2.76 TeV by ALICE at the LHC. One-dimensional K+K− correlation functions are analyzed in three centrality classes and eight intervals of particle-pair transverse momentum. The Lednický and Luboshitz interaction model used in the K+K− analysis includes the final-state Coulomb interactions between kaons and the final-state interaction through a0(980) and f0(980) resonances. The mass of f0(980) and coupling were extracted from the fit to K+K− correlation functions using the femtoscopic technique. The measured mass and width of the f0(980) resonance are consistent with other published measurements. The height of the ϕ(1020) meson peak present in the K+K− correlation function rapidly decreases with increasing source radius, qualitatively in agreement with an inverse volume dependence. A phenomenological fit to this trend suggests that the ϕ(1020) meson yield is dominated by particles produced directly from the hadronization of the system. The small fraction subsequently produced by final-state interactions could not be precisely quantified with data presented in this paper and will be assessed in future work.
This article reports measurements of the angle between differently defined jet axes in pp collisions at s√=5.02 TeV carried out by the ALICE Collaboration. Charged particles at midrapidity are clustered into jets with resolution parameters R=0.2 and 0.4. The jet axis, before and after Soft Drop grooming, is compared to the jet axis from the Winner-Takes-All (WTA) recombination scheme. The angle between these axes, ΔRaxis, probes a wide phase space of the jet formation and evolution, ranging from the initial high-momentum-transfer scattering to the hadronization process. The ΔRaxis observable is presented for 20<pchjetT<100 GeV/c, and compared to predictions from the PYTHIA 8 and Herwig 7 event generators. The distributions can also be calculated analytically with a leading hadronization correction related to the non-perturbative component of the Collins−Soper−Sterman (CSS) evolution kernel. Comparisons to analytical predictions at next-to-leading-logarithmic accuracy with leading hadronization correction implemented from experimental extractions of the CSS kernel in Drell−Yan measurements are presented. The analytical predictions describe the measured data within 20% in the perturbative regime, with surprising agreement in the non-perturbative regime as well. These results are compatible with the universality of the CSS kernel in the context of jet substructure.
Two-particle transverse momentum differential correlators, recently measured in Pb--Pb collisions at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), provide an additional tool to gain insights into particle production mechanisms and infer transport properties, such as the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density, of the medium created in Pb-Pb collisions. The longitudinal long-range correlations and the large azimuthal anisotropy measured at low transverse momenta in small collision systems, namely pp and p-Pb, at LHC energies resemble manifestations of collective behaviour. This suggests that locally equilibrated matter may be produced in these small collision systems, similar to what is observed in Pb-Pb collisions. In this work, the same two-particle transverse momentum differential correlators are exploited in pp and p-Pb collisions at s√=7 TeV and sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV, respectively, to seek evidence for viscous effects. Specifically, the strength and shape of the correlators are studied as a function of the produced particle multiplicity to identify evidence for longitudinal broadening that might reveal the presence of viscous effects in these smaller systems. The measured correlators and their evolution from pp and p--Pb to Pb--Pb collisions are additionally compared to predictions from Monte Carlo event generators, and the potential presence of viscous effects is discussed.
Two-particle correlations with K0S, Λ/Λ¯, and charged hadrons as trigger particles in the transverse momentum range 8<pT,trig<16 GeV/c, and associated charged particles within 1<pT,assoc<8 GeV/c, are studied at mid-rapidity in pp and central Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. After subtracting the contributions of the flow background, the per-trigger yields are extracted on both the near and away sides, and the ratio in Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions (IAA) is computed. The per-trigger yield in Pb-Pb collisions on the away side is strongly suppressed to the level of IAA≈0.6 for pT,assoc>3 GeV/c as expected from strong in-medium energy loss, while an enhancement develops at low pT,assoc on both the near and away sides, reaching IAA≈1.8 and 2.7 respectively. These findings are in good agreement with previous ALICE measurements from two-particle correlations triggered by neutral pions (π0-h) and charged hadrons (h-h) in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=2.76 TeV. Moreover, the correlations with K0S mesons and Λ/Λ¯ baryons as trigger particles are compared to those of inclusive charged hadrons. The results are compared with the predictions of Monte Carlo models.
Production of K0S, Λ (Λ), Ξ±, and Ω± in jets and in the underlying event in pp and p–Pb collisions
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The production of strange hadrons (K0S, Λ, Ξ±, and Ω±), baryon-to-meson ratios (Λ/K0S, Ξ/K0S, and Ω/K0S), and baryon-to-baryon ratios (Ξ/Λ, Ω/Λ, and Ω/Ξ) associated with jets and the underlying event were measured as a function of transverse momentum (pT) in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV and p-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The inclusive production of the same particle species and the corresponding ratios are also reported. The production of multi-strange hadrons, Ξ± and Ω±, and their associated particle ratios in jets and in the underlying event are measured for the first time. In both pp and p-Pb collisions, the baryon-to-meson and baryon-to-baryon yield ratios measured in jets differ from the inclusive particle production for low and intermediate hadron pT (0.6−6 GeV/c). Ratios measured in the underlying event are in turn similar to those measured for inclusive particle production. In pp collisions, the particle production in jets is compared with PYTHIA 8 predictions with three colour-reconnection implementation modes. None of them fully reproduces the data in the measured hadron pT region. The maximum deviation is observed for Ξ± and Ω±, which reaches a factor of about six. In p-Pb collisions, there is no significant event-multiplicity dependence for particle production in jets, in contrast to what is observed in the underlying event. The presented measurements provide novel constraints on hadronisation and its Monte Carlo description. In particular, they demonstrate that the fragmentation of jets alone is insufficient to describe the strange and multi-strange particle production in hadronic collisions at LHC energies.
This Letter presents the measurement of near-side associated per-trigger yields, denoted ridge yields, from the analysis of angular correlations of charged hadrons in proton-proton collisions at s√ = 13 TeV. Long-range ridge yields are extracted for pairs of charged particles with a pseudorapidity difference of 1.4<|Δη|<1.8 and a transverse momentum of 1<pT<2 GeV/c, as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity measured at midrapidity. This study extends the measurements of the ridge yield to the low multiplicity region, where in hadronic collisions it is typically conjectured that a strongly-interacting medium is unlikely to be formed. The precision of the new results allows for the first direct quantitative comparison with the results obtained in e+e− collisions at s√ = 91 GeV, where initial-state effects such as pre-equilibrium dynamics and collision geometry are not expected to play a role. In the multiplicity range where the e+e− results have good precision, the measured ridge yields in pp collisions are substantially larger than the limits set in e+e− annihilations. Consequently, the findings presented in this Letter suggest that the processes involved in e+e− annihilations do not contribute significantly to the emergence of long-range correlations in pp collisions.
This Letter reports on the first measurements of transverse momentum dependent flow angle Ψn and flow magnitude vn fluctuations, determined using new four-particle correlators. The measurements are performed for various centralities in Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV with ALICE at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Both flow angle and flow magnitude fluctuations are observed in the presented centrality ranges and are strongest in the most central collisions and for a transverse momentum pT>2 GeV/c. Comparison with theoretical models, including iEBE-VISHNU, MUSIC, and AMPT, show that the measurements exhibit unique sensitivities to the initial state of heavy-ion collisions.
This Letter reports on the first measurements of transverse momentum dependent flow angle Ψn and flow magnitude vn fluctuations, determined using new four-particle correlators. The measurements are performed for various centralities in Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV with ALICE at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Both flow angle and flow magnitude fluctuations are observed in the presented centrality ranges and are strongest in the most central collisions and for a transverse momentum pT>2 GeV/c. Comparison with theoretical models, including iEBE-VISHNU, MUSIC, and AMPT, show that the measurements exhibit unique sensitivities to the initial state of heavy-ion collisions.
Fluctuation measurements are important sources of information on the mechanism of particle production at LHC energies. This article reports the first experimental results on third-order cumulants of the net-proton distributions in Pb−Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV recorded by the ALICE detector. The results on the second-order cumulants of net-proton distributions at sNN−−−√=2.76 and 5.02 TeV are also discussed in view of effects due to the global and local baryon number conservation. The results demonstrate the presence of long-range rapidity correlations between protons and antiprotons. Such correlations originate from the early phase of the collision. The experimental results are compared with HIJING and EPOS model calculations, and the dependence of the fluctuation measurements on the phase-space coverage is examined in the context of lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) and hadron resonance gas (HRG) model estimations. The measured third-order cumulants are consistent with zero within experimental uncertainties of about 4% and are described well by LQCD and HRG predictions.
The interaction of K− with protons is characterised by the presence of several coupled channels, systems like K¯¯¯¯0n and πΣ with a similar mass and the same quantum numbers as the K−p state. The strengths of these couplings to the K−p system are of crucial importance for the understanding of the nature of the Λ(1405) resonance and of the attractive K−p strong interaction. In this article, we present measurements of the K−p correlation functions in relative momentum space obtained in pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV, in p-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV, and (semi)peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV. The emitting source size, composed of a core radius anchored to the K+p correlation and of a resonance halo specific to each particle pair, varies between 1 and 2 fm in these collision systems. The strength and the effects of the K¯¯¯¯0n and πΣ inelastic channels on the measured K−p correlation function are investigated in the different colliding systems by comparing the data with state-of-the-art models of chiral potentials. A novel approach to determine the conversion weights ω, necessary to quantify the amount of produced inelastic channels in the correlation function, is presented. In this method, particle yields are estimated from thermal model predictions, and their kinematic distribution from blast-wave fits to measured data. The comparison of chiral potentials to the measured K−p interaction indicates that, while the πΣ−K−p dynamics is well reproduced by the model, the coupling to the K¯¯¯¯0n channel in the model is currently underestimated.
The interaction of K− with protons is characterised by the presence of several coupled channels, systems like K¯¯¯¯0n and πΣ with a similar mass and the same quantum numbers as the K−p state. The strengths of these couplings to the K−p system are of crucial importance for the understanding of the nature of the Λ(1405) resonance and of the attractive K−p strong interaction. In this article, we present measurements of the K−p correlation functions in relative momentum space obtained in pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV, in p-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV, and (semi)peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV. The emitting source size, composed of a core radius anchored to the K+p correlation and of a resonance halo specific to each particle pair, varies between 1 and 2 fm in these collision systems. The strength and the effects of the K¯¯¯¯0n and πΣ inelastic channels on the measured K−p correlation function are investigated in the different colliding systems by comparing the data with state-of-the-art models of chiral potentials. A novel approach to determine the conversion weights ω, necessary to quantify the amount of produced inelastic channels in the correlation function, is presented. In this method, particle yields are estimated from thermal model predictions, and their kinematic distribution from blast-wave fits to measured data. The comparison of chiral potentials to the measured K−p interaction indicates that, while the πΣ−K−p dynamics is well reproduced by the model, the coupling to the K¯¯¯¯0n channel in the model is currently underestimated.
The transverse-momentum (pT) spectra and coalescence parameters B2 of (anti)deuterons are measured in p-p collisions at √s=13 TeV for the first time in and out of jets. In this measurement, the direction of the leading particle with the highest pT in the event (p lead T>5 GeV/c) is used as an approximation for the jet axis. The event is consequently divided into three azimuthal regions, and the jet signal is obtained as the difference between the toward region, that contains jet fragmentation products in addition to the underlying event (UE), and the transverse region, which is dominated by the UE. The coalescence parameter in the jet is found to be approximately a factor of 10 larger than that in the underlying event. This experimental observation is consistent with the coalescence picture and can be attributed to the smaller average phase-space distance between nucleons in the jet cone as compared with the underlying event. The results presented in this Letter are compared to predictions from a simple nucleon coalescence model, where the phase-space distributions of nucleons are generated using pythia8 with the Monash 2013 tuning, and to predictions from a deuteron production model based on ordinary nuclear reactions with parametrized energy-dependent cross sections tuned on data. The latter model is implemented in pythia8.3. Both models reproduce the observed large difference between in-jet and out-of-jet coalescence parameters, although the almost flat trend of the BJet2 is not reproduced by the models, which instead give a decreasing trend.
The femtoscopic study of pairs of identical pions is particularly suited to investigate the effective source function of particle emission, due to the resulting Bose-Einstein correlation signal. In small collision systems at the LHC, pp in particular, the majority of the pions are produced in resonance decays, which significantly affect the profile and size of the source. In this work, we explicitly model this effect in order to extract the primordial source in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV from charged π-π correlations measured by ALICE. We demonstrate that the assumption of a Gaussian primordial source is compatible with the data and that the effective source, resulting from modifications due to resonances, is approximately exponential, as found in previous measurements at the LHC. The universality of hadron emission in pp collisions is further investigated by applying the same methodology to characterize the primordial source of K-p pairs. The size of the primordial source is evaluated as a function of the transverse mass (mT) of the pairs, leading to the observation of a common scaling for both π-π and K-p, suggesting a collective effect. Further, the present results are compatible with the mT scaling of the p-p and p−Λ primordial source measured by ALICE in high multiplicity pp collisions, providing compelling evidence for the presence of a common emission source for all hadrons in small collision systems at the LHC. This will allow the determination of the source function for any hadron--hadron pairs with high precision, granting access to the properties of the possible final-state interaction among pairs of less abundantly produced hadrons, such as strange or charmed particles.
Measurements of charged-particle production in pp, p−Pb, and Pb−Pb collisions in the toward, away, and transverse regions with the ALICE detector are discussed. These regions are defined event-by-event relative to the azimuthal direction of the charged trigger particle, which is the reconstructed particle with the largest transverse momentum (ptrigT) in the range 8<ptrigT<15 GeV/c. The toward and away regions contain the primary and recoil jets, respectively; both regions are accompanied by the underlying event (UE). In contrast, the transverse region perpendicular to the direction of the trigger particle is dominated by the so-called UE dynamics, and includes also contributions from initial- and final-state radiation. The relative transverse activity classifier, RT=NTch/⟨NTch⟩, is used to group events according to their UE activity, where NTch is the charged-particle multiplicity per event in the transverse region and ⟨NTch⟩ is the mean value over the whole analysed sample. The energy dependence of the RT distributions in pp collisions at s√=2.76, 5.02, 7, and 13 TeV is reported, exploring the Koba-Nielsen-Olesen (KNO) scaling properties of the multiplicity distributions. The first measurements of charged-particle pT spectra as a function of RT in the three azimuthal regions in pp, p−Pb, and Pb−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV are also reported. Data are compared with predictions obtained from the event generators PYTHIA 8 and EPOS LHC. This set of measurements is expected to contribute to the understanding of the origin of collective-like effects in small collision systems (pp and p−Pb).
In this letter, measurements of (anti)alpha production in central (0−10%) Pb−Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon−nucleon pair of sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV are presented, including the first measurement of an antialpha transverse-momentum spectrum. Owing to its large mass, (anti)alpha production yields and transverse-momentum spectra are of particular interest because they provide a stringent test of particle production models. The averaged antialpha and alpha spectrum is included into a common blast-wave fit with lighter particles, indicating that the (anti)alpha also participates in the collective expansion of the medium created in the collision. A blast-wave fit including only protons, (anti)alpha, and other light nuclei results in a similar flow velocity as the fit that includes all particles. A similar flow velocity, but a significantly larger kinetic freeze-out temperature is obtained when only protons and light nuclei are included in the fit. The coalescence parameter B4 is well described by calculations from a statistical hadronization model but significantly underestimated by calculations assuming nucleus formation via coalescence of nucleons. Similarly, the (anti)alpha-to-proton ratio is well described by the statistical hadronization model. On the other hand, coalescence calculations including approaches with different implementations of the (anti)alpha substructure tend to underestimate the data.
The dependence of f0(980) production on the final-state charged-particle multiplicity in p−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV is reported. The production of f0(980) is measured with the ALICE detector via the f0(980)→π+π− decay channel in a midrapidity region of −0.5<y<0. Particle yield ratios of f0(980) to π and K∗(892)0 are found to be decreasing with increasing charged-particle multiplicity. The magnitude of the suppression of the f0(980)/π and f0(980)/K∗(892)0 yield ratios is found to be dependent on the transverse momentum pT, suggesting different mechanisms responsible for the measured effects. Furthermore, the nuclear modification factor QpPb of f0(980) is measured in various multiplicity ranges. The QpPb shows a strong suppression of the f0(980) production in the pT region up to about 4 GeV/c. The results on the particle yield ratios and QpPb for f0(980) may help to understand the late hadronic phase in p−Pb collisions and the nature of the internal structure of f0(980) particle.
The first measurement of the multiplicity dependence of intra-jet properties of leading charged-particle jets in proton-proton (pp) collisions is reported. The mean charged-particle multiplicity and jet fragmentation distributions are measured in minimum-bias and high-multiplicity pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV using the ALICE detector. Jets are reconstructed from charged particles produced in the midrapidity region (|η|<0.9) using the sequential recombination anti-kT algorithm with jet resolution parameters R = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 for the transverse momentum (pT) interval 5−110 GeV/c. High-multiplicity events are selected by the forward V0 scintillator detectors. The mean charged-particle multiplicity inside the leading jet cone rises monotonically with increasing jet pT in qualitative agreement with previous measurements at lower energies. The distributions of jet fragmentation functions zch and ξch are measured for different jet-pT intervals. Jet-pT independent fragmentation of leading jets is observed for wider jets except at high- and low-zch. The observed "hump-backed plateau" structure in the ξch distribution indicates suppression of low-pT particles. In high-multiplicity events, an enhancement of the fragmentation probability of low-zch particles accompanied by a suppression of high-zch particles is observed compared to minimum-bias events. This behavior becomes more prominent for low-pT jets with larger jet radius. The results are compared with predictions of QCD-inspired event generators, PYTHIA 8 with Monash 2013 tune and EPOS LHC. It is found that PYTHIA 8 qualitatively reproduces the jet modification in high-multiplicity events except at high jet pT. These measurements provide important constraints to models of jet fragmentation.
The inclusive production of the charm-strange baryon Ω0c is measured for the first time via its hadronic decay into Ω−π+ at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy s√=13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2<pT<12 GeV/c. The pT dependence of the Ω0c-baryon production relative to the prompt D0-meson and to the prompt Ξ0c-baryon production is compared to various models that take different hadronisation mechanisms into consideration. In the measured pT interval, the ratio of the pT-integrated cross sections of Ω0c and prompt Λ+c baryons multiplied by the Ω−π+ branching ratio is found to be larger by a factor of about 20 with a significance of about 4σ when compared to e+e− collisions.
This Letter presents the most precise measurement to date of the matter/antimatter imbalance at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV. Using the Statistical Hadronization framework, it is possible to obtain the value of the electric charge and baryon chemical potentials, μQ=−0.18±0.90 MeV and μB=0.71±0.45 MeV, with unprecedented precision. A centrality-differential study of the antiparticle-to-particle yield ratios of charged pions, protons, Ω-baryons, and light (hyper)nuclei is performed. These results indicate that the system created in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC is on average baryon-free and electrically neutral at midrapidity.
The two-particle momentum correlation functions between charm mesons (D∗± and D±) and charged light-flavor mesons (π± and K±) in all charge-combinations are measured for the first time by the ALICE Collaboration in high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of s√=13 TeV. For DK and D∗K pairs, the experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions of the residual strong interaction based on quantum chromodynamics calculations on the lattice and chiral effective field theory. In the case of Dπ and D∗π pairs, tension between the calculations including strong interactions and the measurement is observed. For all particle pairs, the data can be adequately described by Coulomb interaction only, indicating a shallow interaction between charm and light-flavor mesons. Finally, the scattering lengths governing the residual strong interaction of the Dπ and D∗π systems are determined by fitting the experimental correlation functions with a model that employs a Gaussian potential. The extracted values are small and compatible with zero.
The first measurements of femtoscopic correlations with the particle pair combinations π±K0S in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are reported by the ALICE experiment. Using the femtoscopic approach, it is shown that it is possible to study the elusive K∗0(700) particle that has been considered a tetraquark candidate for over forty years. Boson source parameters and final-state interaction parameters are extracted by fitting a model assuming a Gaussian source to the experimentally measured two-particle correlation functions. The final-state interaction is modeled through a resonant scattering amplitude, defined in terms of a mass and a coupling parameter, decaying into a π±K0S pair. The extracted mass and Breit-Wigner width, derived from the coupling parameter, of the final-state interaction are found to be consistent with previous measurements of the K∗0(700). The small value and increasing behavior of the correlation strength with increasing source size support the hypothesis that the K∗0(700) is a four-quark state, i.e. a tetraquark state. This latter trend is also confirmed via a simple geometric model that assumes a tetraquark structure of the K∗0(700) resonance.
The first measurements of femtoscopic correlations with the particle pair combinations π±K0S in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are reported by the ALICE experiment. Using the femtoscopic approach, it is shown that it is possible to study the elusive K∗0(700) particle that has been considered a tetraquark candidate for over forty years. Boson source parameters and final-state interaction parameters are extracted by fitting a model assuming a Gaussian source to the experimentally measured two-particle correlation functions. The final-state interaction is modeled through a resonant scattering amplitude, defined in terms of a mass and a coupling parameter, decaying into a π±K0S pair. The extracted mass and Breit-Wigner width, derived from the coupling parameter, of the final-state interaction are found to be consistent with previous measurements of the K∗0(700). The small value and increasing behavior of the correlation strength with increasing source size support the hypothesis that the K∗0(700) is a four-quark state, i.e. a tetraquark state. This latter trend is also confirmed via a simple geometric model that assumes a tetraquark structure of the K∗0(700) resonance.
Measurements of charged-particle production in pp, p−Pb, and Pb−Pb collisions in the toward, away, and transverse regions with the ALICE detector are discussed. These regions are defined event-by-event relative to the azimuthal direction of the charged trigger particle, which is the reconstructed particle with the largest transverse momentum (ptrigT) in the range 8<ptrigT<15 GeV/c. The toward and away regions contain the primary and recoil jets, respectively; both regions are accompanied by the underlying event (UE). In contrast, the transverse region perpendicular to the direction of the trigger particle is dominated by the so-called UE dynamics, and includes also contributions from initial- and final-state radiation. The relative transverse activity classifier, RT=NTch/⟨NTch⟩, is used to group events according to their UE activity, where NTch is the charged-particle multiplicity per event in the transverse region and ⟨NTch⟩ is the mean value over the whole analysed sample. The energy dependence of the RT distributions in pp collisions at s√=2.76, 5.02, 7, and 13 TeV is reported, exploring the Koba-Nielsen-Olesen (KNO) scaling properties of the multiplicity distributions. The first measurements of charged-particle pT spectra as a function of RT in the three azimuthal regions in pp, p−Pb, and Pb−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV are also reported. Data are compared with predictions obtained from the event generators PYTHIA 8 and EPOS LHC. This set of measurements is expected to contribute to the understanding of the origin of collective-like effects in small collision systems (pp and p−Pb).
Measurements of charged-particle production in pp, p−Pb, and Pb−Pb collisions in the toward, away, and transverse regions with the ALICE detector are discussed. These regions are defined event-by-event relative to the azimuthal direction of the charged trigger particle, which is the reconstructed particle with the largest transverse momentum (ptrigT) in the range 8<ptrigT<15 GeV/c. The toward and away regions contain the primary and recoil jets, respectively; both regions are accompanied by the underlying event (UE). In contrast, the transverse region perpendicular to the direction of the trigger particle is dominated by the so-called UE dynamics, and includes also contributions from initial- and final-state radiation. The relative transverse activity classifier, RT=NTch/⟨NTch⟩, is used to group events according to their UE activity, where NTch is the charged-particle multiplicity per event in the transverse region and ⟨NTch⟩ is the mean value over the whole analysed sample. The energy dependence of the RT distributions in pp collisions at s√=2.76, 5.02, 7, and 13 TeV is reported, exploring the Koba-Nielsen-Olesen (KNO) scaling properties of the multiplicity distributions. The first measurements of charged-particle pT spectra as a function of RT in the three azimuthal regions in pp, p−Pb, and Pb−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV are also reported. Data are compared with predictions obtained from the event generators PYTHIA 8 and EPOS LHC. This set of measurements is expected to contribute to the understanding of the origin of collective-like effects in small collision systems (pp and p−Pb).
The Chiral Magnetic Wave (CMW) phenomenon is essential to provide insights into the strong interaction in QCD, the properties of the quark-gluon plasma, and the topological characteristics of the early universe, offering a deeper understanding of fundamental physics in high-energy collisions. Measurements of the charge-dependent anisotropic flow coefficients are studied in Pb-Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision sNN−−−√= 5.02 TeV to probe the CMW. In particular, the slope of the normalized difference in elliptic (v2) and triangular (v3) flow coefficients of positively and negatively charged particles as a function of their event-wise normalized number difference, is reported for inclusive and identified particles. The slope rNorm3 is found to be larger than zero and to have a magnitude similar to rNorm2, thus pointing to a large background contribution for these measurements. Furthermore, rNorm2 can be described by a blast wave model calculation that incorporates local charge conservation. In addition, using the event shape engineering technique yields a fraction of CMW (fCMW) contribution to this measurement which is compatible with zero. This measurement provides the very first upper limit for fCMW, and in the 10-60% centrality interval it is found to be 26% (38%) at 95% (99.7%) confidence level.
The Chiral Magnetic Wave (CMW) phenomenon is essential to provide insights into the strong interaction in QCD, the properties of the quark-gluon plasma, and the topological characteristics of the early universe, offering a deeper understanding of fundamental physics in high-energy collisions. Measurements of the charge-dependent anisotropic flow coefficients are studied in Pb-Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision sNN−−−√= 5.02 TeV to probe the CMW. In particular, the slope of the normalized difference in elliptic (v2) and triangular (v3) flow coefficients of positively and negatively charged particles as a function of their event-wise normalized number difference, is reported for inclusive and identified particles. The slope rNorm3 is found to be larger than zero and to have a magnitude similar to rNorm2, thus pointing to a large background contribution for these measurements. Furthermore, rNorm2 can be described by a blast wave model calculation that incorporates local charge conservation. In addition, using the event shape engineering technique yields a fraction of CMW (fCMW) contribution to this measurement which is compatible with zero. This measurement provides the very first upper limit for fCMW, and in the 10-60% centrality interval it is found to be 26% (38%) at 95% (99.7%) confidence level.
Two-particle correlations with K0S, Λ/Λ¯, and charged hadrons as trigger particles in the transverse momentum range 8<pT,trig<16 GeV/c, and associated charged particles within 1<pT,assoc<8 GeV/c, are studied at mid-rapidity in pp and central Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. After subtracting the contributions of the flow background, the per-trigger yields are extracted on both the near and away sides, and the ratio in Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions (IAA) is computed. The per-trigger yield in Pb-Pb collisions on the away side is strongly suppressed to the level of IAA≈0.6 for pT,assoc>3 GeV/c as expected from strong in-medium energy loss, while an enhancement develops at low pT,assoc on both the near and away sides, reaching IAA≈1.8 and 2.7 respectively. These findings are in good agreement with previous ALICE measurements from two-particle correlations triggered by neutral pions (π0-h) and charged hadrons (h-h) in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=2.76 TeV. Moreover, the correlations with K0S mesons and Λ/Λ¯ baryons as trigger particles are compared to those of inclusive charged hadrons. The results are compared with the predictions of Monte Carlo models.
The intense photon fluxes from relativistic nuclei provide an opportunity to study photonuclear interactions in ultraperipheral collisions. The measurement of coherently photoproduced π+π−π+π− final states in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV is presented for the first time. The cross section, dσ/dy, times the branching ratio (ρ→π+π+π−π−) is found to be 47.8±2.3 (stat.)±7.7 (syst.) mb in the rapidity interval |y|<0.5. The invariant mass distribution is not well described with a single Breit-Wigner resonance. The production of two interfering resonances, ρ(1450) and ρ(1700), provides a good description of the data. The values of the masses (m) and widths (Γ) of the resonances extracted from the fit are m1=1385±14 (stat.)±3 (syst.) MeV/c2, Γ1=431±36 (stat.)±82 (syst.) MeV/c2, m2=1663±13 (stat.)±22 (syst.) MeV/c2 and Γ2=357±31 (stat.)±49 (syst.) MeV/c2, respectively. The measured cross sections times the branching ratios are compared to recent theoretical predictions.
Measurements of the pT-dependent flow vector fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV using azimuthal correlations with the ALICE experiment at the LHC are presented. A four-particle correlation approach [1] is used to quantify the effects of flow angle and magnitude fluctuations separately. This paper extends previous studies to additional centrality intervals and provides measurements of the pT-dependent flow vector fluctuations at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV with two-particle correlations. Significant pT-dependent fluctuations of the V⃗ 2 flow vector in Pb-Pb collisions are found across different centrality ranges, with the largest fluctuations of up to ∼15% being present in the 5% most central collisions. In parallel, no evidence of significant pT-dependent fluctuations of V⃗ 3 or V⃗ 4 is found. Additionally, evidence of flow angle and magnitude fluctuations is observed with more than 5σ significance in central collisions. These observations in Pb-Pb collisions indicate where the classical picture of hydrodynamic modeling with a common symmetry plane breaks down. This has implications for hard probes at high pT, which might be biased by pT-dependent flow angle fluctuations of at least 23% in central collisions. Given the presented results, existing theoretical models should be re-examined to improve our understanding of initial conditions, quark--gluon plasma (QGP) properties, and the dynamic evolution of the created system.
The pT-differential production cross sections of non-prompt D0, D+, and D+s mesons originating from beauty-hadron decays are measured in proton−proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy s√ of 13 TeV. The measurements are performed at midrapidity, |y|<0.5, with the data sample collected by ALICE from 2016 to 2018. The results are in agreement with predictions from several perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of beauty quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, fs/(fu+fd), is found to be 0.114±0.016 (stat.)±0.006 (syst.)±0.003 (BR)±0.003 (extrap.). This value is compatible with previous measurements at lower centre-of-mass energies and in different collision systems in agreement with the assumption of universality of fragmentation functions. In addition, the dependence of the non-prompt D meson production on the centre-of-mass energy is investigated by comparing the results obtained at s√=5.02 and 13 TeV, showing a hardening of the non-prompt D-meson pT-differential production cross section at higher s√. Finally, the bb¯¯¯ production cross section per unit of rapidity at midrapidity is calculated from the non-prompt D0, D+, D+s, and Λ+c hadron measurements, obtaining dσ/dy=75.2±3.2 (stat.)±5.2 (syst.)+12.3−3.2 (extrap.) μb.
The two-particle momentum correlation functions between charm mesons (D∗± and D±) and charged light-flavor mesons (π± and K±) in all charge-combinations are measured for the first time by the ALICE Collaboration in high-multiplicity proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV. For DK and D∗K pairs, the experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions of the residual strong interaction based on quantum chromodynamics calculations on the lattice and chiral effective field theory. In the case of Dπ and D∗π pairs, tension between the calculations including strong interactions and the measurement is observed. For all particle pairs, the data can be adequately described by Coulomb interaction only, indicating a shallow interaction between charm and light-flavor mesons. Finally, the scattering lengths governing the residual strong interaction of the Dπ and D∗π systems are determined by fitting the experimental correlation functions with a model that employs a Gaussian potential. The extracted values are small and compatible with zero.
The production of K∗(892)± meson resonance is measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K∗(892)±→K0Sπ±. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the pT range of 0.4-16 GeV/c. The reported measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K∗(892)0. The pT-integrated yield ratio 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) in central Pb-Pb collisions shows a significant suppression (9.3σ) relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations overpredict the particle yield ratio. Although both simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas MUSIC+SMASH tends to overpredict them. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields of light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which increases towards central collisions. The pT-differential yield ratios 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) and 2K∗(892)±/(π++π−) are suppressed by up to a factor of five at pT<2 GeV/c in central Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions at s√= 5.02 TeV. Both particle ratios and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is below unity at pT>8 GeV/c, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
The production of K∗(892)± meson resonance is measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K∗(892)±→K0Sπ±. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the pT range of 0.4-16 GeV/c. The reported measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K∗(892)0. The pT-integrated yield ratio 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) in central Pb-Pb collisions shows a significant suppression (9.3σ) relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations overpredict the particle yield ratio. Although both simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas MUSIC+SMASH tends to overpredict them. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields of light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which increases towards central collisions. The pT-differential yield ratios 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) and 2K∗(892)±/(π++π−) are suppressed by up to a factor of five at pT<2 GeV/c in central Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions at s√= 5.02 TeV. Both particle ratios and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is below unity at pT>8 GeV/c, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
The production of K∗(892)± meson resonance is measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in Pb−Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K∗(892)±→K0Sπ±. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the pT range of 0.4−16 GeV/c . Measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are reported and found to be consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K∗(892)0 within uncertainties. The pT-integrated yield ratio 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) in central Pb−Pb collisions shows a significant suppression at a level of 9.3σ relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations result in an overprediction of the particle yield ratio. Although both hadron resonance gas in partial chemical equilibrium (HRG-PCE) and music + smash simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas music + smash simulations tend to overpredict the particle yield ratio. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields measured for light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which decreases with increasing collision centrality percentile. The pT-differential yield ratios 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) and 2K∗(892)±/(π++π−) are presented and compared with measurements in pp collisions at √s=5.02 TeV. Both pa rticle ratios are found to be suppressed by up to a factor of five at pT<2.0 GeV/c in central Pb−Pb collisions and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor (RAA) shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is found to be below unity at pT>8 GeV/c, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
Long- and short-range correlations for pairs of charged particles are studied via two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV and p−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV. The correlation functions are measured as a function of relative azimuthal angle Δφ and pseudorapidity separation Δη for pairs of primary charged particles within the pseudorapidity interval |η|<0.9 and the transverse-momentum interval 1<pT<4 GeV/c. Flow coefficients are extracted for the long-range correlations (1.6<|Δη|<1.8) in various high-multiplicity event classes using the low-multiplicity template fit method. The method is used to subtract the enhanced yield of away-side jet fragments in high-multiplicity events. These results show decreasing flow signals toward lower multiplicity events. Furthermore, the flow coefficients for events with hard probes, such as jets or leading particles, do not exhibit any significant changes compared to those obtained from high-multiplicity events without any specific event selection criteria. The results are compared with hydrodynamic-model calculations, and it is found that a better understanding of the initial conditions is necessary to describe the results, particularly for low-multiplicity events.
The inclusive production of the charm-strange baryon Ω0c is measured for the first time via its semileptonic decay into Ω−e+νe at midrapidity (|y| < 0.8) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy √s = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2 < pT < 12 GeV/c. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ω0c → Ω−e+νe)/BR(Ω0c → Ω−π+) is measured to be 1.12 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.27 (syst.). Comparisons with other experimental measurements, as well as with theoretical calculations, are presented.
The inclusive production of the charm-strange baryon Ω0c is measured for the first time via its semileptonic decay into Ω−e+νe at midrapidity (|y| < 0.8) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy √s = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2 < pT < 12 GeV/c. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ω0c → Ω−e+νe)/BR(Ω0c → Ω−π+) is measured to be 1.12 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.27 (syst.). Comparisons with other experimental measurements, as well as with theoretical calculations, are presented.
Long- and short-range correlations for pairs of charged particles are studied via two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at √sNN = 13 TeV and p–Pb collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV. The correlation functions are measured as a function of relative azimuthal angle ∆φ and pseudorapidity separation ∆η for pairs of primary charged particles within the pseudorapidity interval |η| < 0.9 and the transverse-momentum interval 1 < pT < 4 GeV/c. Flow coefficients are extracted for the long-range correlations (1.6 < |∆η| < 1.8) in various high-multiplicity event classes using the low-multiplicity template fit method. The method is used to subtract the enhanced yield of away-side jet fragments in high-multiplicity events. These results show decreasing flow signals toward lower multiplicity events. Furthermore, the flow coefficients for events with hard probes, such as jets or leading particles, do not exhibit any significant changes compared to those obtained from high-multiplicity events without any specific event selection criteria. The results are compared with hydrodynamic-model calculations, and it is found that a better understanding of the initial conditions is necessary to describe the results, particularly for low-multiplicity events.
The total charm-quark production cross section per unit of rapidity dσ(cc)/dy, and the fragmentation fractions of charm quarks to different charm-hadron species f(c → hc), are measured for the first time in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV at midrapidity (−0.96 < y < 0.04 in the centre-ofmass frame) using data collected by ALICE at the CERN LHC. The results are obtained based on all the available measurements of prompt production of ground-state charm-hadron species: D0, D+,D+s, and J/ψ mesons, and Λ+cand Ξ0cbaryons. The resulting cross section is dσ(cc)/dy = 219.6±6.3 (stat.)+10.5−11.8(syst.)+7.6−2.9(extr.)±5.4 (BR)±4.6 (lumi.)±19.5 (rapidity shape) +15.0 (Ω0c) mb, which is consistent with a binary scaling of pQCD calculations from pp ollisions. The measured fragmentation fractions are compatible with those measured in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 and 13 TeV, showing an increase in the relative production rates of charm baryons with respect to charm mesons in pp and p–Pb collisions compared with e+e − and e−p collisions. The pT-integrated nuclear modification factor of charm quarks, RpPb(cc) = 0.91±0.04 (stat.) +0.08 −0.09 (syst.) +0.04 −0.03 (extr.)±0.03 (lumi.), is found to be consistent with unity and with theoretical predictions including nuclear modifications of the parton distribution functions.
This work aims to differentiate strangeness produced from hard processes (jet-like) and softer processes (underlying event) by measuring the angular correlation between a high-momentum trigger hadron (h) acting as a jet-proxy and a produced strange hadron (φ(1020) meson). Measuring h–φ correlations at midrapidity in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV as a function of event multiplicity provides insight into the microscopic origin of strangeness enhancement in small collision systems. The jet-like and the underlying-event-like strangeness production are investigated as a function of event multiplicity. They are also compared between a lower and higher momentum region. The evolution of the per-trigger yields within the near-side (aligned with the trigger hadron) and away-side (in the opposite direction of the trigger hadron) jet is studied separately, allowing for the characterization of two distinct jet-like production regimes. Furthermore, the h–φ correlations within the underlying event give access to a production regime dominated by soft production processes, which can be compared directly to the in-jet production. Comparisons between h–φ and dihadron correlations show that the observed strangeness enhancement is largely driven by the underlying event, where the φ/h ratio is significantly larger than within the jet regions. As multiplicity increases, the fraction of the total φ(1020) yield coming from jets decreases compared to the underlying event production, leading to high-multiplicity events being dominated by the increased strangeness production from the underlying event