20 research outputs found
Cross section normalization in proton-proton collisions at = 2.76 TeV and 7 TeV, with ALICE at LHC
Measurements of the cross sections of the reference processes seen by the
ALICE trigger system were obtained based on beam properties measured from van
der Meer scans. The measurements are essential for absolute cross section
determinations of physics processes.
The paper focuses on instrumental and technical aspects of detectors and
accelerators, including a description of the extraction of beam properties from
the van der Meer scan. As a result, cross sections of reference processes seen
by the ALICE trigger system are given for proton-proton collisions at two
energies; =2.76 TeV and 7 TeV, together with systematic uncertainties
originating from beam intensity measurements and other detector effects.
Consistency checks were performed by comparing to data from other experiments
in LHC.Comment: Quark Matter 2011 Conference Proceedings, 4 pages, 2 figure
Evolution of mechanism of parton energy loss with transverse momentum at RHIC and LHC in relativistic collision of heavy nuclei
We analyze the suppression of particle production at large transverse momenta
in ( most) central collisions of gold nuclei at
200 GeV and lead nuclei at 2.76 TeV. Full
next-to-leading order radiative corrections at , and
nuclear effects like shadowing and parton energy loss are included. The parton
energy loss is implemented in a simple multiple scattering model, where the
partons lose an energy per collision, where
is their mean free path. We take for a treatment
which is suggestive of the Bethe Heitler (BH) mechanism of incoherent
scatterings, for LPM mechanism, and
constant for a mechanism which suggests that the rate of energy loss ()
of the partons is proportional to total path length () of the parton in the
plasma, as the formation time of the radiated gluon becomes much larger than
.
We find that while the BH mechanism describes the nuclear modification factor
for 5 GeV/ (especially at RHIC energy), the LPM
and more so the constant mechanism provides a good description at
larger . This confirms the earlier expectation that the energy loss
mechanism for partons changes from BH to LPM for ,
where 1 fm and 1 GeV is the average
transverse kick-squared received by the parton per collision. The energy loss
per collision at the =2.76 TeV is found to be about
twice of that at 0.2 TeV.Comment: Discussion expanded, additional references added, 14 pages, 6
figures, To appear in Journal of Physics
Particle Production at Large Transverse Momentum with ALICE
We present transverse momentum distributions of inclusive charged particles
and identified hadrons in and Pb--Pb collisions at \rs= 2.76 TeV,
measured by ALICE at the LHC. The Pb--Pb data are presented in intervals of
collision centrality and cover transverse momenta up to 50 GeV/. Nuclear
medium effects are studied in terms of the nuclear modification factor \raa.
The results indicate a strong suppression of high- particles in Pb--Pb
collisions, consistent with a large energy loss of hard-scattered partons in
the hot, dense and long-lived medium created at the LHC. We compare the
preliminary results for inclusive charged particles to previous results from
RHIC and calculations from energy loss models. Furthermore, we compare the
nuclear modification factors of inclusive charged particles to those of
identified , , K, and .Comment: Talk given at Quark Matter 2011 conferenc
Quark-Gluon Plasma at RHIC and the LHC: Perfect Fluid too Perfect?
Relativistic heavy ion collisions have reached energies that enable the
creation of a novel state of matter termed the quark-gluon plasma. Many
observables point to a picture of the medium as rapidly equilibrating and
expanding as a nearly inviscid fluid. In this article, we explore the evolution
of experimental flow observables as a function of collision energy and attempt
to reconcile the observed similarities across a broad energy regime in terms of
the initial conditions and viscous hydrodynamics. If the initial spatial
anisotropies are very similar for all collision energies from 39 GeV to 2.76
TeV, we find that viscous hydrodynamics might be consistent with the level of
agreement for v2 of unidentified hadrons as a function of pT . However, we
predict a strong collision energy dependence for the proton v2(pT). The results
presented in this paper highlight the need for more systematic studies and a
re-evaluation of previously stated sensitivities to the early time dynamics and
properties of the medium.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, submitted to the New Journal of Physics focus
issue "Strongly Correlated Quantum Fluids: From Ultracold Quantum Gases to
QCD Plasmas
Jet Quenching via Jet Collimation
The ATLAS Collaboration recently reported strong modifications of dijet
properties in heavy ion collisions. In this work, we discuss to what extent
these first data constrain already the microscopic mechanism underlying jet
quenching. Simple kinematic arguments lead us to identify a frequency
collimation mechanism via which the medium efficiently trims away the soft
components of the jet parton shower. Through this mechanism, the observed dijet
asymmetry can be accomodated with values of that lie in the
expected order of magnitude.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Proton-Nucleus Collisions at the LHC: Scientific Opportunities and Requirements
Proton-nucleus (p+A) collisions have long been recognized as a crucial
component of the physics programme with nuclear beams at high energies, in
particular for their reference role to interpret and understand nucleus-nucleus
data as well as for their potential to elucidate the partonic structure of
matter at low parton fractional momenta (small-x). Here, we summarize the main
motivations that make a proton-nucleus run a decisive ingredient for a
successful heavy-ion programme at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and we
present unique scientific opportunities arising from these collisions. We also
review the status of ongoing discussions about operation plans for the p+A mode
at the LHC.Comment: 33 pages, 15 Figure
The ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC
ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is a general-purpose, heavy-ion detector at the CERN LHC which focuses on QCD, the strong-interaction sector of the Standard Model. It is designed to address the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma at extreme values of energy density and temperature in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Besides running with Pb ions, the physics programme includes collisions with lighter ions, lower energy running and dedicated proton-nucleus runs. ALICE will also take data with proton beams at the top LHC energy to collect reference data for the heavy-ion programme and to address several QCD topics for which ALICE is complementary to the other LHC detectors. The ALICE detector has been built by a collaboration including currently over 1000 physicists and engineers from 105 Institutes in 30 countries. Its overall dimensions are 161626 m3 with a total weight of approximately 10 000 t. The experiment consists of 18 different detector systems each with its own specific technology choice and design constraints, driven both by the physics requirements and the experimental conditions expected at LHC. The most stringent design constraint is to cope with the extreme particle multiplicity anticipated in central Pb-Pb collisions. The different subsystems were optimized to provide high-momentum resolution as well as excellent Particle Identification (PID) over a broad range in momentum, up to the highest multiplicities predicted for LHC. This will allow for comprehensive studies of hadrons, electrons, muons, and photons produced in the collision of heavy nuclei. Most detector systems are scheduled to be installed and ready for data taking by mid-2008 when the LHC is scheduled to start operation, with the exception of parts of the Photon Spectrometer (PHOS), Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) and Electro Magnetic Calorimeter (EMCal). These detectors will be completed for the high-luminosity ion run expected in 2010. This paper describes in detail the detector components as installed for the first data taking in the summer of 2008