Heavy-flavour production in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, measured with the ALICE detector

We present the first results from the ALICE experiment on the nuclear modification factors for heavy-flavour hadron production in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt{s_NN}=2.76 TeV. Using proton-proton and lead-lead collision samples at sqrt{s}=7 TeV and sqrt{s_NN}=2.76 TeV, respectively, nuclear modification factors R_AA(pt) were measured for D mesons at central rapidity (via displaced decay vertex reconstruction), and for electrons and muons, at central and forward rapidity, respectively.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, plenary talk at Quark Matter 2011, Annecy, Franc

D meson nuclear modification factors in Pb-Pb collisions at {\surd}sNN = 2.76 TeV, measured with the ALICE detector

The ALICE experiment has measured the D meson production in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC at {\surd}s = 7 and 2.76 TeV and {\surd}sNN = 2.76 TeV respectively, via the exclusive reconstruction of hadronic decay channels. The analyses of the D0{\to}K-pi+ and D+{\to}K-pi+pi+ channels will be described and the preliminary results for the D0 and D+ nuclear modification factor will be presented.Comment: Proceedings of Quark Matter 2011 conference. 4 pages, 4 figures. The slides of the talk can be found at the link: http://indico.cern.ch/materialDisplay.py?contribId=591&sessionId=53&materialId=slides&confId=3024

Resonance structure in the {\gamma}{\gamma} and π0π0\pi^0\pi^0 systems in dC interactions

Along with $\pi^0$ and {\eta} mesons, a resonance structure in the invariant mass spectrum of two photons at M{\gamma}{\gamma} = 360 \pm 7 \pm 9 MeV is observed in the reaction d + C \rightarrow {\gamma} + {\gamma} + X at momentum 2.75 GeV/c per nucleon. Estimates of its width and production cross section are {\Gamma} = 64 \pm 18 MeV and $\sigma_{\gamma\gamma}$ = 98 \pm 24 {\mu}b, respectively. The collected statistics amount to 2339 \pm 340 events of 1.5 \cdot 10^6 triggered interactions of a total number ~ 10^12 of dC-interactions. The results on observation of the resonance in the invariant mass spectra of two $\pi^0$ mesons are presented: the data obtained in the d + C \rightarrow {\gamma} + {\gamma} reaction is confirmed by the d + C \rightarrow $\pi^0$ + $\pi^0$ reaction: $M_{\pi^0\pi^0}$ = 359.2 \pm 1.9 MeV, {\Gamma} = 48.9 \pm 4.9 MeV; the ratio of Br(R\rightarrow{\gamma}{\gamma}) / Br(R\rightarrow$\pi^0\pi^0$) = (1.8 {\div} 3.7)\cdot10^-3.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

Investigation of charm and beauty production via semileptonic decays of heavy-flavour hadrons in pp at 7 TeV and Pb--Pb at 2.76 TeV with ALICE

Electron spectra measured with ALICE at mid-rapidity are used to study the production of hadrons carrying a charm or a beauty quark. The production cross section of electrons from heavy-flavour hadron decays is measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=7 TeV. Electrons from the beauty decays are identified via the displacement from the interaction vertex. From the electron spectra measured in Pb--Pb collisions, we determine the nuclear modification factor, which is sensitive to the heavy-quark energy loss in a hot strongly interacting medium.Comment: Quark Matter 2011 proceeding

Review of SIS Experimental Results on Strangeness

>A review of meson emission in heavy ion collisions at incident energies around 1 -- 2 $A\cdot$GeV is presented. It is shown how the shape of the spectra and the various particle yields vary with system size, with centrality and with incident energy. A statistical model assuming thermal and chemical equilibrium and exact strangeness conservation (i.e. strangeness conservation per collision) explains most of the observed features. Emphasis is put onto the study of $K^+$ and $K^-$ emission. In the framework of this statistical model it is shown that the experimentally observed equality of $K^+$ and $K^-$ rates at threshold corrected energies $\sqrt{s} - \sqrt{s_{th}}$ is due to a crossing of two excitation functions. Furthermore, the independence of the $K^+$ to $K^-$ ratio on the number of participating nucleons observed between 1 and 10 $A\cdot$GeV is consistent with this model. The observed flow effects are beyond the scope of this model.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, Strangeness 2000, V International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter, July, 2000, Berkeley, Californi

Computer simulation of pulsed field gel runs allows the quantitation of radiation-induced double-strand breaks in yeast

A procedure for the quantification of double-strand breaks in yeast is presented that utilizes pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and a comparison of the observed DNA mass distribution in the gel lanes with calculated distributions. Calculation of profiles is performed as follows. If double-strand breaks are produced by sparsely ionizing radiation, one can assume that they are distributed randomly in the genome, and the resulting DNA mass distribution in molecular length can be predicted by means of a random breakage model. The input data for the computation of molecular length profiles are the breakage frequency per unit length, , as adjustable parameter, and the molecular lengths of the intact chromosomes. The obtained DNA mass distributions in molecular length must then be transformed into distributions of DNA mass in migration distance. This requires a calibration of molecular length vs. migration distance that is specific for the gel lane in question. The computed profiles are then folded with a Lorentz distribution with adjusted spread parameter to account for and broadening. The DNA profiles are calculated for different breakage frequencies and for different values of , and the parameters resulting in the best fit of the calculated to the observed profile are determined

Inclusive Open Charm Production in pp and Pb-Pb collisions with the ALICE Detector

ALICE is the dedicated heavy-ion experiment at the LHC. Its main physics goal is to study the properties of strongly-interacting matter at conditions of high energy density (>10 GeV/ fm^3) and high temperature (> 0.5 GeV) expected to be reached in central Pb-Pb collisions. Charm and beauty quarks are powerful tools to investigate this high density and strongly interacting state of matter since they are produced in initial hard scatterings that are therefore generated early in the system evolution and probe its hottest, densest stage. The measurement of the charm production cross sections in pp collisions provides an interesting insight into QCD processes and is crucial as a reference for heavy ion studies. We present open charm cross section measurements in pp collisions at \sqrt{s} = 7 TeV and \sqrt{s}=2.76 TeV in the central rapidity region. In addition, the first measurement of nuclear modification factor of D-meson in Pb-Pb collisions at \sqrt{s}= 2.76 TeV is shown.Comment: 6 page, 5 figures, Conference Proceeding to be published in Journal of Physic

Jets as a Probe of Dense Matter at RHIC

Jet quenching in the matter created in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions provides a tomographic tool to probe the medium properties. Recent experimental results on jet production at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) are reviewed. Jet properties in p+p and d+Au collisions have been measured, establishing the baseline for studying jet modification in heavy-ion collisions. Current progress on detailed studies of high transverse momentum production in Au+Au collisions is discussed, with an emphasis on dihadron correlation measurements.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures. Plenary talk given at 17th International Conference on Ultra Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (Quark Matter 2004), Oakland, California, 11-17 Jan 2004. Submitted to J.Phys.