Strangeness with ALICE: from pp to Pb-Pb

We present the measurements of strange and multi-strange hadrons in high energy pp and Pb-Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The data for these measurements were collected by the ALICE detector in 2010 and 2011. By comparing strangeness data where Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) is not expected to be produced (pp collisions) with data where the energy-density of the collision is sufficient to produce the QGP (central and mid-central Pb-Pb collisions), we are able to investigate the properties of the QGP. We characterize the matter created in the collision by presenting strange and multi-strange particle spectra, yields, and transverse momenta in the context of increasing strangeness number, varying collision energy, and the number of nucleons participating in the collision (Npart).Comment: This is a proceedings for the Physics of the LHC 2012 Conference, held in Vancouver, B

Measurement of electrons from beauty hadron decays in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

The production cross section of electrons from semileptonic decays of beauty hadrons was measured at mid-rapidity (vertical bar y vertical bar LT 0.8) in, the transverse momentum range 1 LT p(T) LT 8 GeV/c with the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC in pp collisions at a center of mass energy root s = 7 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 2.2 nb(-1). Electrons from beauty hadron decays were selected based on the displacement of the decay vertex from the collision vertex. A perturbative QCD calculation agrees with the measurement within uncertainties. The data were extrapolated to the full phase space to determine the total cross section for the production of beauty quark-antiquark pairs. (C) 2013 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Suppression of high transverse momentum D mesons in central Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

The production of the prompt charm mesons D-0, D+, D*(+), and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, at a centre-of-mass energy root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV per nucleon-nucleon collision. The p(t)-differential production yields in the range 2 LT p(t) LT 16 GeV/c at central rapidity, vertical bar y vertical bar LT 0.5, were used to calculate the nuclear modification factor R-AA with respect to a proton-proton reference obtained from the cross section measured at root s = 7 TeV and scaled to root s = 2.76 TeV. For the three meson species, R-AA shows a suppression by a factor 3-4, for transverse momenta larger than 5 GeV/c in the 20% most central collisions. The suppression is reduced for peripheral collisions

Exclusive J/psi Photoproduction off Protons in Ultraperipheral p-Pb Collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV

We present the first measurement at the LHC of exclusive J/psi photoproduction off protons, in ultraperipheral proton-lead collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV. Events are selected with a dimuon pair produced either in the rapidity interval, in the laboratory frame, 2.5 LT y LT 4 (p-Pb) or -3.6 LT y LT -2.6 (Pb-p), and no other particles observed in the ALICE acceptance. The measured cross sections sigma(gamma + p - GT J/psi + p) are 33.2 +/- 2.2(stat) +/- 3.2(syst) +/- 0.7(theor) nb in p-Pb and 284 +/- 36(stat)(-32)(+27)(syst) +/- 26(theor) nb in Pb-p collisions. We measure this process up to about 700 GeV in the gamma p center of mass, which is a factor of two larger than the highest energy studied at HERA. The data are consistent with a power law dependence of the J/psi photoproduction cross section in gamma p energies from about 20 to 700 GeV, or equivalently, from Bjorken x scaling variable between similar to 2 x 10(-2) and similar to 2 x 10(-5), thus indicating no significant change in the gluon density behavior of the proton between HERA and LHC energies

Measurement of Prompt D-Meson Production in p-Pb Collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV

The p(T)-differential production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D-0, D+, D*(-), and D-s(+) and their charge conjugate in the rapidity interval -0.96 LT y(cms) LT 0.04 were measured in p-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The nuclear modification factor R-pPb, quantifying the D-meson yield in p-Pb collisions relative to the yield in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, is compatible within the 15%-20% uncertainties with unity in the transverse momentum interval 1 LT p(T) LT 24 GeV/c. No significant difference among the R-pPb of the four D-meson species is observed. The results are described within uncertainties by theoretical calculations that include initial-state effects. The measurement adds experimental evidence that the modification of the momentum spectrum of D mesons observed in Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions is due to strong final-state effects induced by hot partonic matter

Two- and three-pion quantum statistics correlations in Pb-Pb collisions at root S-NN=2.76 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

Correlations induced by quantum statistics are sensitive to the spatiotemporal extent as well as dynamics of particle-emitting sources in heavy-ion collisions. In addition, such correlations can be used to search for the presence of a coherent component of pion production. Two- and three-pion correlations of same and mixed charge are measured at low relative momentum to estimate the coherent fraction of charged pions in Pb-Pb collisions at root S-NN = 2.76 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider with ALICE. The genuine three-pion quantum statistics correlation is found to be suppressed relative to the two-pion correlation based on the assumption of fully chaotic pion emission. The suppression is observed to decrease with triplet momentum. The observed suppression at low triplet momentum may correspond to a coherent fraction in charged-pion emission of 23% +/- 8%

Production of Sigma (1385)(+/-) and Xi (1530)(0) in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

The production of the strange and double-strange baryon resonances (Sigma (1385)(+/-), Xi (1530)(0)) has been measured at mid-rapidity (vertical bar y vertical bar LT 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. Transverse momentum spectra for inelastic collisions are compared to QCD-inspired models, which in general underpredict the data. A search for the phi (1860) pentaquark, decaying in the Xi pi channel, has been carried out but no evidence is seen

Light vector meson production in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV ALICE Collaboration

The ALICE experiment has measured low-mass dimuon production in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV in the dimuon rapidity region 2.5 LT y LT 4. The observed dimuon mass spectrum is described as a superposition of resonance decays (eta, rho, omega, eta, phi) into muons and semi-leptonic decays of charmed mesons. The measured production cross sections for omega and phi are sigma(omega)(1 LT p(t) LT 5 GeV/c. 2.5 LT y LT 4) = 5.28 +/- 0.54(stat) +/- 0.49(syst) mb and sigma(phi)(1 LT p(t) LT 5 GeV/c. 2.5 LT y LT 4) = 0.940 +/- 0.084(stat) +/- 0.076(syst) mb. The differential cross sections d(2)sigma/dy dp(t) are extracted as a function of p(t) for omega and phi. The ratio between the rho and omega cross section is obtained. Results for the phi are compared with other measurements at the same energy and with predictions by models. (C) 2012 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved