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1. Measurement of the central exclusive production of charged particle pairs in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 200 GeV with the STAR detector at RHIC

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2020)178  

   Adam, J. ; Adamczyk, L. ; Adams, J. R. ; Adkins, J. K. ; Agakishiev, G. ; Aggarwal, M. M. ; Ahammed, Z. ; Alekseev, I. ; Anderson, D. M. ; Aparin, A. ; et al ( July 2020 , Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A bstract We report on the measurement of the Central Exclusive Production of charged particle pairs h + h − ( h = π, K, p ) with the STAR detector at RHIC in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 200 GeV. The charged particle pairs produced in the reaction pp → p ′ + h + h − + p ′ are reconstructed from the tracks in the central detector and identified using the specific energy loss and the time of flight method, while the forward-scattered protons are measured in the Roman Pot system. Exclusivity of themore »event is guaranteed by requiring the transverse momentum balance of all four final-state particles. Differential cross sections are measured as functions of observables related to the central hadronic final state and to the forward-scattered protons. They are measured in a fiducial region corresponding to the acceptance of the STAR detector and determined by the central particles’ transverse momenta and pseudorapidities as well as by the forward-scattered protons’ momenta. This fiducial region roughly corresponds to the square of the four-momentum transfers at the proton vertices in the range 0 . 04 GeV 2 < −t 1 , −t 2 < 0 . 2 GeV 2 , invariant masses of the charged particle pairs up to a few GeV and pseudorapidities of the centrally-produced hadrons in the range |η| < 0 . 7. The measured cross sections are compared to phenomenological predictions based on the Double Pomeron Exchange (DPE) model. Structures observed in the mass spectra of π + π − and K + K − pairs are consistent with the DPE model, while angular distributions of pions suggest a dominant spin-0 contribution to π + π − production. For π + π − production, the fiducial cross section is extrapolated to the Lorentz-invariant region, which allows decomposition of the invariant mass spectrum into continuum and resonant contributions. The extrapolated cross section is well described by the continuum production and at least three resonances, the f 0 (980), f 2 (1270) and f 0 (1500), with a possible small contribution from the f 0 (1370). Fits to the extrapolated differential cross section as a function of t 1 and t 2 enable extraction of the exponential slope parameters in several bins of the invariant mass of π + π − pairs. These parameters are sensitive to the size of the interaction region.« less
2. Production of pions, kaons, (anti-)protons and $$\phi $$ mesons in Xe–Xe collisions at $$\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$$ = 5.44 TeV

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-09304-4  

   Acharya, S. ; Adamová, D. ; Adler, A. ; Adolfsson, J. ; Aglieri Rinella, G. ; Agnello, M. ; Agrawal, N. ; Ahammed, Z. ; Ahmad, S. ; Ahn, S. U. ; et al ( July 2021 , The European Physical Journal C)

   Abstract The first measurement of the production of pions, kaons, (anti-)protons and $$\phi $$ ϕ mesons at midrapidity in Xe–Xe collisions at $$\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.44~\text {TeV}$$ s NN = 5.44 TeV is presented. Transverse momentum ( $$p_{\mathrm{T}}$$ p T ) spectra and $$p_{\mathrm{T}}$$ p T -integrated yields are extracted in several centrality intervals bridging from p–Pb to mid-central Pb–Pb collisions in terms of final-state multiplicity. The study of Xe–Xe and Pb–Pb collisions allows systems at similar charged-particle multiplicities but with different initial geometrical eccentricities to be investigated. A detailed comparison of the spectral shapes in the two systems reveals anmore »opposite behaviour for radial and elliptic flow. In particular, this study shows that the radial flow does not depend on the colliding system when compared at similar charged-particle multiplicity. In terms of hadron chemistry, the previously observed smooth evolution of particle ratios with multiplicity from small to large collision systems is also found to hold in Xe–Xe. In addition, our results confirm that two remarkable features of particle production at LHC energies are also valid in the collision of medium-sized nuclei: the lower proton-to-pion ratio with respect to the thermal model expectations and the increase of the $$\phi $$ ϕ -to-pion ratio with increasing final-state multiplicity.« less
3. J/ψ elliptic and triangular flow in Pb-Pb collisions at $$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $$ = 5.02 TeV

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2020)141  

   Acharya, S. ; Adamová, D. ; Adler, A. ; Adolfsson, J. ; Aggarwal, M. M. ; Aglieri Rinella, G. ; Agnello, M. ; Agrawal, N. ; Ahammed, Z. ; Ahmad, S. ; et al ( October 2020 , Journal of High Energy Physics)

   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 $$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $$ 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.more »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.« less
4. Thermochemistry and mechanisms of the Pt ⁺ + SO ₂ reaction from guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry and theory

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0091510  

   Armentrout, P. B. ( May 2022 , The Journal of Chemical Physics)

   The kinetic energy dependences of the reactions of Pt + ( 2 D 5/2 ) with SO 2 were studied using a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer and theory. The observed cationic products are PtO + and PtSO + , with small amounts of PtS + , all formed in endothermic reactions. Modeling the kinetic energy dependent product cross sections allows determination of the product bond dissociation energies (BDEs): D 0 (Pt + –O) = 3.14 ± 0.11 eV, D 0 (Pt + –S) = 3.68 ± 0.31 eV, and D 0 (Pt + –SO) = 3.03 ± 0.12 eV. The oxidemore »BDE agrees well with more precise literature values, whereas the latter two results are the first such measurements. Quantum mechanical calculations were performed for PtO + , PtS + , PtO 2 + , and PtSO + at the B3LYP and coupled-cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple [CCSD(T)] levels of theory using the def2-XZVPPD (X = T, Q) and aug-cc-pVXZ (X = T, Q, 5) basis sets and complete basis set extrapolations. These theoretical BDEs agree well with the experimental values. After including empirical spin–orbit corrections, the product ground states are determined as PtO + ( 4 Σ 3/2 ), PtS + ( 4 Σ 3/2 ), PtO 2 + ( 2 Σ g + ), and PtSO + ( 2 A′). Potential energy profiles including intermediates and transition states for each reaction were also calculated at the B3LYP/def2-TZVPPD level. Periodic trends in the thermochemistry of the group 9 metal chalcogenide cations are compared, and the formation of PtO + from the Pt + + SO 2 reaction is compared with those from the Pt + + O 2 , CO 2 , CO, and NO reactions.« less
5. Production of light-flavor hadrons in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}~=~7\text { and }\sqrt{s} = 13 \, \text { TeV} $$

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-08690-5  

   Acharya, S. ; Adamová, D. ; Adler, A. ; Adolfsson, J. ; Aggarwal, M. M. ; Rinella, G. Aglieri ; Agnello, M. ; Agrawal, N. ; Ahammed, Z. ; Ahmad, S. ; et al ( March 2021 , The European Physical Journal C)

   Abstract The production of $$\pi ^{\pm }$$ π ± , $$\mathrm{K}^{\pm }$$ K ± , $$\mathrm{K}^{0}_{S}$$ K S 0 , $$\mathrm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$$ K ∗ ( 892 ) 0 , $$\mathrm{p}$$ p , $$\phi (1020)$$ ϕ ( 1020 ) , $$\Lambda $$ Λ , $$\Xi ^{-}$$ Ξ - , $$\Omega ^{-}$$ Ω - , and their antiparticles was measured in inelastic proton–proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s}$$ s = 13 TeV at midrapidity ( $$|y|<0.5$$ | y | < 0.5 ) as a function of transverse momentum ( $$p_{\mathrm{T}}$$ p T ) using the ALICE detector at the CERNmore »LHC. Furthermore, the single-particle $$p_{\mathrm{T}}$$ p T distributions of $$\mathrm{K}^{0}_{S}$$ K S 0 , $$\Lambda $$ Λ , and $$\overline{\Lambda }$$ Λ ¯ in inelastic pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 7$$ s = 7  TeV are reported here for the first time. The $$p_{\mathrm{T}}$$ p T distributions are studied at midrapidity within the transverse momentum range $$0\le p_{\mathrm{T}}\le 20$$ 0 ≤ p T ≤ 20 GeV/ c , depending on the particle species. The $$p_{\mathrm{T}}$$ p T spectra, integrated yields, and particle yield ratios are discussed as a function of collision energy and compared with measurements at lower $$\sqrt{s}$$ s and with results from various general-purpose QCD-inspired Monte Carlo models. A hardening of the spectra at high $$p_{\mathrm{T}}$$ p T with increasing collision energy is observed, which is similar for all particle species under study. The transverse mass and $$x_{\mathrm{T}}\equiv 2p_{\mathrm{T}}/\sqrt{s}$$ x T ≡ 2 p T / s scaling properties of hadron production are also studied. As the collision energy increases from $$\sqrt{s}$$ s = 7–13 TeV, the yields of non- and single-strange hadrons normalized to the pion yields remain approximately constant as a function of $$\sqrt{s}$$ s , while ratios for multi-strange hadrons indicate enhancements. The $$p_\mathrm{{T}}$$ p T -differential cross sections of $$\pi ^{\pm }$$ π ± , $$\mathrm {K}^{\pm }$$ K ± and $$\mathrm {p}$$ p ( $$\overline{\mathrm{p}}$$ p ¯ ) are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations, which are found to overestimate the cross sections for $$\pi ^{\pm }$$ π ± and $$\mathrm{p}$$ p ( $$\overline{\mathrm{p}}$$ p ¯ ) at high $$p_\mathrm{{T}}$$ p T .« less