Suppression of charged particle production at large transverse momentum in central Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV

Inclusive transverse momentum spectra of primary charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}}$ = 2.76 TeV have been measured by the ALICE Collaboration at the LHC. The data are presented for central and peripheral collisions, corresponding to 0-5% and 70-80% of the hadronic Pb-Pb cross section. The measured charged particle spectra in $|\eta|<0.8$ and $0.3 < p_T < 20$ GeV/$c$ are compared to the expectation in pp collisions at the same $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, scaled by the number of underlying nucleon-nucleon collisions. The comparison is expressed in terms of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$. The result indicates only weak medium effects ($R_{\rm AA} \approx$ 0.7) in peripheral collisions. In central collisions, $R_{\rm AA}$ reaches a minimum of about 0.14 at $p_{\rm T}=6$-7GeV/$c$ and increases significantly at larger $p_{\rm T}$. The measured suppression of high-$p_{\rm T}$ particles is stronger than that observed at lower collision energies, indicating that a very dense medium is formed in central Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages, 5 captioned figures, 3 tables, authors from page 10, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/98

Two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV

The first measurement of two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. We observe a growing trend with energy now not only for the longitudinal and the outward but also for the sideward pion source radius. The pion homogeneity volume and the decoupling time are significantly larger than those measured at RHIC.Comment: 17 pages, 5 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 12, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/388

Particle-yield modification in jet-like azimuthal di-hadron correlations in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV

The yield of charged particles associated with high-$p_{\rm T}$ trigger particles ($8 < p_{\rm T} < 15$ GeV/$c$) is measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV relative to proton-proton collisions at the same energy. The conditional per-trigger yields are extracted from the narrow jet-like correlation peaks in azimuthal di-hadron correlations. In the 5% most central collisions, we observe that the yield of associated charged particles with transverse momenta $p_{\rm T}> 3$ GeV/$c$ on the away-side drops to about 60% of that observed in pp collisions, while on the near-side a moderate enhancement of 20-30% is found.Comment: 15 pages, 2 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 10, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/350

Higher harmonic anisotropic flow measurements of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV

We report on the first measurement of the triangular $v_3$, quadrangular $v_4$, and pentagonal $v_5$ charged particle flow in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We show that the triangular flow can be described in terms of the initial spatial anisotropy and its fluctuations, which provides strong constraints on its origin. In the most central events, where the elliptic flow $v_2$ and $v_3$ have similar magnitude, a double peaked structure in the two-particle azimuthal correlations is observed, which is often interpreted as a Mach cone response to fast partons. We show that this structure can be naturally explained from the measured anisotropic flow Fourier coefficients.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/387

Centrality Dependence of the Charged-Particle Multiplicity Density at Midrapidity in Pb-Pb Collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

The centrality dependence of the charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 2: 76 TeV is presented. The charged-particle density normalized per participating nucleon pair increases by about a factor of 2 from peripheral (70%-80%) to central (0%-5%) collisions. The centrality dependence is found to be similar to that observed at lower collision energies. The data are compared with models based on different mechanisms for particle production in nuclear collisions

Femtoscopy of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=0.9 and 7\ua0TeV at the LHC with two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations

We report on the high statistics two-pion correlation functions from pp collisions at root s = 0.9 TeV and root s = 7 TeV, measured by the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The correlation functions as well as the extracted source radii scale with event multiplicity and pair momentum. When analyzed in the same multiplicity and pair transverse momentum range, the correlation is similar at the two collision energies. A three-dimensional femtoscopic analysis shows an increase of the emission zone with increasing event multiplicity as well as decreasing homogeneity lengths with increasing transverse momentum. The latter trend gets more pronounced as multiplicity increases. This suggests the development of space-momentum correlations, at least for collisions producing a high multiplicity of particles. We consider these trends in the context of previous femtoscopic studies in high-energy hadron and heavy-ion collisions and discuss possible underlying physics mechanisms. Detailed analysis of the correlation reveals an exponential shape in the outward and longitudinal directions, while the sideward remains a Gaussian. This is interpreted as a result of a significant contribution of strongly decaying resonances to the emission region shape. Significant nonfemtoscopic correlations are observed, and are argued to be the consequence of "mini-jet"-like structures extending to low p(t). They are well reproduced by the Monte-Carlo generators and seen also in pi(+)pi(-) correlations

Measurement of charm production at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at 1as = 2.76 TeV

The p t-differential production cross sections of the prompt (B feed-down subtracted) charmed mesons D0, D+, and D*+ in the rapidity range |y| &lt; 0.5, and for transverse momentum 1 &lt; p t &lt; 12 GeV/c, were measured in proton-proton collisions at 1as = 2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis exploited the hadronic decays D 0 \u2192 K -\u3c0 +, D + \u2192 K -\u3c0 +\u3c0 +, D *+ \u2192 D 0\u3c0 +, and their charge conjugates, and was performed on a L int = 1.1 nb -1 event sample collected in 2011 with a minimum-bias trigger. The total charm production cross section at 1as = 2.76 TeV and at 7 TeV was evaluated by extrapolating to the full phase space the p t-differential production cross sections at 1as = 2.76 TeV and our previous measurements at 1as = 7 TeV. The results were compared to existing measurements and to perturbative-QCD calculations. The fraction of cd D mesons produced in a vector state was also determined. \ua9 2012 SISSA

Relationship between the mineralogical composition of the clay fraction of some andalusian caracteristic soils and theri behaviour in relation to potassium

12 páginas, 7 figuras, 3 tablas, 7 referencias.[ES]: Se estudia la fracción arcilla de los suelos más característicos de nuestra región y su comportamiento frente al potasio, relacionándolo con la composición mineralógica de dicha fracción. Exceptuando el suelo fersialítico, los diferentes horizontes de cada suelo no presentan variaciones importantes en su comportamiento frente al potasio. Los suelos vérticos litomorfos y vérticos topomorfos presentan los valores más altos de Kx, lo que está de acuerdo con una mayor edafización y con altas concentraciones de montmorillonita e ilita. El suelo calcimorfo, a pesar de poseer composición mineralógica simlar, está muy poco evolucionado y presenta valores más bajos de Kx, similares a los del suelo aluvial, que está asimismo poco evolucionado, con alta proporción de ilita, a la que acompañan pequeñas proporciones de montmorillonita y caolinita. En el suelo fersialítico lavado disminuye el valor de Kx, al descender en el perfil, en el mismo sentido en que disminuye la ilita y aumenta la montmorillonita. Los horizontes C de los suelos de gran desarrollo edafogenético presentan en relación con los horizontes superiores, a pesar de poseer composición mineralógica similar, valores muy pequeños de Kx. El grado de desarrollo del suelo es el que tiene mayor influencia en los valores de Kx. Los tratamientos de eliminación de materia orgánica y/o geles producen un aumento muy apreciable de los valores de Kx.[EN]: The clay fractions of soils caracteristic of western Anclalucía and their behaviour in relation to potassium are studied, and the latter in related to the mineralogical composition of the former. Except the "fersialitico soil" (Rhocloxeralfs), the various horizons of each soil do not present distinct variations in their behaviour in relation to potassium. The "vertisol litomorfo" (chromoxererts) and «topomorfo» (Pelloxererts) soils present the highest values of Kx which agrees with the strong weathering of these soils and their nigh proportions of montmoillonite and illite. The "calcimorfo soil" (Calciorthids) is little weathered and present lower values of Kx, despite its mineralogical composition, which is analogous to the preceding soils. Similarly low values of Kx are obtained for the «aluvial soil» (Xerofluvents), also little weathered, which contains high proportion of illite, with small amounts of montmorillonite and kaolinite. The value of Kx and the proportion of illite for the leached fersialitico soil decrease and the proportion of montmorillonite increases as getting down across the profile. C horizons of soils with high podogenic development present much lower values of Kx than upper horizona, despite the analogy of their mineralogical compositions. The degree of development of soils has the highest influence on Kx, values. Treatments for removing organic matter and/or gels originate important increases in Kx values.Peer reviewe

Harmonic decomposition of two particle angular correlations in Pb\u2013Pb collisions at 1asNN = 2.76 TeV.

Angular correlations between unidentified charged trigger (t) and associated (a) particles are measured by the ALICE experiment in Pb\u2013Pb collisions at 1asNN = 2.76 TeV for transverse momenta 0.25 p(aT) . The shapes of the pair correlation distributions are studied in a variety of collision centrality classes between 0 and 50% of the total hadronic cross section for particles in the pseudorapidity interval |\u3b7| 0.8, and are referred to as \u201clong-range correlations\u201d. Fourier components Vn 61 cos(n\u3c6) are extracted from the long-range azimuthal correlation functions. If particle pairs are correlated to one another through their individual correlation to a common symmetry plane, then the pair anisotropy Vn(p(tT) , p(aT) ) is fully described in terms of single-particle anisotropies vn(pT) as Vn(p(tT), p(aT)) = vn(p(tT)vn(paT). This expectation is tested for 1 64 n 64 5 by applying a global fit of all Vn(p(tT), p(aT) to obtain the best values vn{GF}(pT ). It is found that for 2 64 n 64 5, the fit agrees well with data up to p(aT) ~ 3\u20134 GeV/c, with a trend of increasing deviation as p(tT) and p(aT) are increased or as collisions become more peripheral. This suggests that no pair correlation harmonic can be described over the full 0.25 < pT < 15 GeV/c range using a single vn(pT) curve; such a description is however approximately possible for 2 64 n 64 5 when p(aT) <4 GeV/c. For the n = 1 harmonic, however, a single v1(pT) curve is not obtained even within the reduced range p(aT) <4 GeV/c