Search for: All records

Abstract This article reports on the inclusive production cross section of several quarkonium states, $$\textrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ , $$\psi \mathrm{(2S)}$$ ψ ( 2 S ) , $$\Upsilon \mathrm (1S)$$ Υ ( 1 S ) , $$\Upsilon \mathrm{(2S)}$$ Υ ( 2 S ) , and $$\Upsilon \mathrm{(3S)}$$ Υ ( 3 S ) , measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC, in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 5.02$$ s = 5.02  TeV. The analysis is performed in the dimuon decay channel at forward rapidity ( $$2.5< y < 4$$ 2.5 < y < 4 ). The integrated cross sections and transverse-momentum ( $$p_{\textrm{T}}$$ p T ) and rapidity ( $$y$$ y ) differential cross sections for $$\textrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ , $$\psi \mathrm{(2S)}$$ ψ ( 2 S ) , $$\Upsilon \mathrm (1S)$$ Υ ( 1 S ) , and the $$\psi \mathrm{(2S)}$$ ψ ( 2 S ) -to- $$\textrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ cross section ratios are presented. The integrated cross sections, assuming unpolarized quarkonia, are: $$\sigma _{\textrm{J}/\psi }$$ σ J / ψ  ( $$p_{\textrm{T}} <20$$ p T < 20  GeV/c) = 5.88 ± 0.03 ± 0.34 $$ ~\mu $$ μ b, $$\sigma _{\psi \mathrm{(2S)}}$$ σ ψ ( 2 S )  ( $$p_{\textrm{T}} <12$$ p T < 12  GeV/c) = 0.87 ± 0.06 ± 0.10 $$~\mu $$ μ b, $$\sigma _{\Upsilon \mathrm (1S)}$$ σ Υ ( 1 S )  ( $$p_{\textrm{T}} <15$$ p T < 15  GeV/c) = 45.5 ± 3.9 ± 3.5 nb, $$\sigma _{\Upsilon \mathrm{(2S)}}$$ σ Υ ( 2 S )  ( $$p_{\textrm{T}} <15$$ p T < 15  GeV/c) = 22.4 ± 3.2 ± 2.7 nb, and $$\sigma _{\Upsilon \mathrm{(3S)}}$$ σ Υ ( 3 S )  ( $$p_{\textrm{T}} <15$$ p T < 15  GeV/c) = 4.9 ± 2.2 ± 1.0 nb, where the first (second) uncertainty is the statistical (systematic) one. For the first time, the cross sections of the three $$\Upsilon $$ Υ states, as well as the $$\psi \mathrm{(2S)}$$ ψ ( 2 S ) one as a function of $$p_{\textrm{T}}$$ p T and $$y$$ y , are measured at $$\sqrt{s} = 5.02$$ s = 5.02  TeV at forward rapidity. These measurements also significantly extend the $$\textrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ $$p_{\textrm{T}}$$ p T reach and supersede previously published results. A comparison with ALICE measurements in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 2.76$$ s = 2.76 , 7, 8, and 13 TeV is presented and the energy dependence of quarkonium production cross sections is discussed. Finally, the results are compared with the predictions from several production models. 

A bstract The energy deposited at very forward rapidities (very forward energy) is a powerful tool for characterising proton fragmentation in pp and p-Pb collisions. The correlation of very forward energy with particle production at midrapidity provides direct insights into the initial stages and the subsequent evolution of the collision. Furthermore, the correlation with the production of particles with large transverse momenta at midrapidity provides information complementary to the measurements of the underlying event, which are usually interpreted in the framework of models implementing centrality-dependent multiple parton interactions. Results about very forward energy, measured by the ALICE zero degree calorimeters (ZDCs), and its dependence on the activity measured at midrapidity in pp collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV and in p-Pb collisions at $$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $$ s NN = 8 . 16 TeV are discussed. The measurements performed in pp collisions are compared with the expectations of three hadronic interaction event generators: PYTHIA 6 (Perugia 2011 tune), PYTHIA 8 (Monash tune), and EPOS LHC. These results provide new constraints on the validity of models in describing the beam remnants at very forward rapidities, where perturbative QCD cannot be used. 

A bstract A measurement of inclusive, prompt, and non-prompt J/ ψ production in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $$ s NN = 5 . 02 TeV is presented. The inclusive J/ ψ mesons are reconstructed in the dielectron decay channel at midrapidity down to a transverse momentum p T = 0. The inclusive J/ ψ nuclear modification factor R pPb is calculated by comparing the new results in p-Pb collisions to a recently measured proton-proton reference at the same centre-of-mass energy. Non-prompt J/ ψ mesons, which originate from the decay of beauty hadrons, are separated from promptly produced J/ ψ on a statistical basis for p T larger than 1.0 GeV/ c . These results are based on the data sample collected by the ALICE detector during the 2016 LHC p-Pb run, corresponding to an integrated luminosity $$ \mathcal{L} $$ L int = 292 ± 11 μ b − 1 , which is six times larger than the previous publications. The total uncertainty on the p T -integrated inclusive J/ ψ and non-prompt J/ ψ cross section are reduced by a factor 1.7 and 2.2, respectively. The measured cross sections and R pPb are compared with theoretical models that include various combinations of cold nuclear matter effects. From the non-prompt J/ ψ production cross section, the $$ \mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}} $$ b b ¯ production cross section at midrapidity, $$ {\mathrm{d}\sigma}_{\mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}}} $$ d σ b b ¯ / d y , and the total cross section extrapolated over full phase space, $$ {\sigma}_{\mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}}} $$ σ b b ¯ , are derived. 

Abstract Angular correlations of heavy-flavour and charged particles in high-energy proton–proton collisions are sensitive to the production mechanisms of heavy quarks and to their fragmentation as well as hadronisation processes. The measurement of the azimuthal-correlation function of prompt D mesons with charged particles in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ s = 13  TeV with the ALICE detector is reported, considering $$\mathrm D^{0} $$ D 0 , $$\mathrm D^{+} $$ D + , and $$\mathrm D^{*+} $$ D ∗ + mesons in the transverse-momentum interval $$3< p_{\mathrm{T}} < 36$$ 3 < p T < 36  GeV/ $$c$$ c at midrapidity ( $$|y| < 0.5$$ | y | < 0.5 ), and charged particles with $$p_{\mathrm{T}} > 0.3$$ p T > 0.3  GeV/ $$c$$ c and pseudorapidity $$|\eta | < 0.8$$ | η | < 0.8 . This measurement has an improved precision and provides an extended transverse-momentum coverage compared to previous ALICE measurements at lower energies. The study is also performed as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity, showing no modifications of the correlation function with multiplicity within uncertainties. The properties and the transverse-momentum evolution of the near- and away-side correlation peaks are studied and compared with predictions from various Monte Carlo event generators. Among those considered, PYTHIA8 and POWHEG+PYTHIA8 provide the best description of the measured observables. The obtained results can provide guidance on tuning the generators. 

A bstract A measurement of the inclusive b-jet production cross section is presented in pp and p-Pb collisions at $$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $$ s NN = 5 . 02 TeV, using data collected with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The jets were reconstructed in the central rapidity region |η| < 0 . 5 from charged particles using the anti- k T algorithm with resolution parameter R = 0 . 4. Identification of b jets exploits the long lifetime of b hadrons, using the properties of secondary vertices and impact parameter distributions. The p T -differential inclusive production cross section of b jets, as well as the corresponding inclusive b-jet fraction, are reported for pp and p-Pb collisions in the jet transverse momentum range 10 ≤ p T , ch jet ≤ 100 GeV/ c , together with the nuclear modification factor, $$ {R}_{\mathrm{pPb}}^{\mathrm{b}-\mathrm{jet}} $$ R pPb b − jet . The analysis thus extends the lower p T limit of b-jet measurements at the LHC. The nuclear modification factor is found to be consistent with unity, indicating that the production of b jets in p-Pb at $$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $$ s NN = 5 . 02 TeV is not affected by cold nuclear matter effects within the current precision. The measurements are well reproduced by POWHEG NLO pQCD calculations with PYTHIA fragmentation.