The Magnetic Distortion Calibration System of the LHCb RICH1 Detector

The LHCb RICH1 detector uses hybrid photon detectors (HPDs) as its optical sensors. A calibration system has been constructed to provide corrections for distortions that are primarily due to external magnetic fields. We describe here the system design, construction, operation and performance.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figure

Transverse momentum spectra and nuclear modification factors of charged particles in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

We report the measured transverse momentum (pT) spectra of primary charged particles from pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy p sNN = 5 : 02TeV in the kinematic range of 0 : 15 < pT < 50 GeV/c and jj < 0 : 8. A signi fi cant improvement of systematic uncertainties motivated the reanalysis of data in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at p sNN = 2 : 76TeV, as well as in p-Pb collisions at p sNN = 5 : 02TeV, which is also presented. Spectra from Pb-Pb collisions are presented in nine centrality intervals and are compared to a reference spectrum from pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. For central collisions, the pT spectra are suppressed by more than a factor of 7 around 6-7 GeV/c with a signi fi cant reduction in suppression towards higher momenta up to 30 GeV/c. The nuclear modi fi cation factor RpPb, constructed from the pp and p-Pb spectra measured at the same collision energy, is consistent with unity above 8 GeV/c. While the spectra in both pp and Pb-Pb collisions are substantially harder at p sNN = 5 : 02TeV compared to 2.76TeV, the nuclear modi fi cation factors show no signi fi cant collision energy dependence. The obtained results should provide further constraints on the parton energy loss calculations to determine the transport properties of the hot and dense QCD matter

Inclusive J/ψ production at forward and backward rapidity in p-Pb collisions at √sNN=8.16 TeV

Inclusive J/psi production is studied in p-Pb interactions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision root s(NN) = 8.16 TeV, using the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC. The J/psi meson is reconstructed, via its decay to a muon pair, in the centreof-mass rapidity intervals 2.03 < Y-cms < 3.53 and -4.46 < Y-cms < -2.96, where positive and negative Y(cms )refer to the p-going and Pb-going direction, respectively. The transverse momentum coverage is PT < 20 GeV/c. In this paper, Y-cms- and P-T-differential cross sections for inclusive J/psi production are presented, and the corresponding nuclear modification factors R-pPb are shown. Forward results show a suppression of the J/psi yield with respect to pp collisions, concentrated in the region P-T less than or similar to 5 GeV/c. At backward rapidity no significant suppression is observed. The results are compared to previous measurements by ALICE in p-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV and to theoretical calculations. Finally, the ratios R-FB between forward- and backward-Y-cms R-pPb values are shown and discussed

Neutral pion and η meson production in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

Neutral pion and eta meson invariant differential yields were measured in non-single diffractive p-Pb collisions at root S-NN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC. The analysis combines results from three complementary photon measurements, utilizing the PHOS and EMCal calorimeters and the Photon Conversion Method. The invariant differential yields of pi(0) and eta meson inclusive production are measured near mid-rapidity in a broad transverse momentum range of 0.3 4 GeV/c at 0.483 +/- 0.015(stat) +/- 0.015(sys). A deviation from m(T) scaling is observed for p(T) < 2 GeV/c. The measured eta/pi(0) ratio is consistent with previous measurements from proton-nucleus and pp collisions over the full pi range. The measured eta/pi(0) ratio at high p(T) also agrees within uncertainties with measurements from nucleus nucleus collisions. The pi(0) and eta yields in p-Pb relative to the scaled pp interpolated reference, R-pPb, are presented for 0.3 < p(T) < 20 GeV/c and 0.7 < p(T) < 20 GeV/c, respectively. The results are compared with theoretical model calculations. The values of R-pPb are consistent with unity for transverse momenta above 2 GeV/c. These results support the interpretation that the suppressed yield of neutral mesons measured in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies is due to parton energy loss in the hot QCD medium

Constraints on jet quenching in p–Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV measured by the event-activity dependence of semi-inclusive hadron-jet distributions

The ALICE Collaboration reports the measurement of semi-inclusive distributions of charged-particle jets recoiling from a high-transverse momentum trigger hadron in p-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02TeV. Jets are reconstructed from charged-particle tracks using the anti-k(T) algorithm with resolution parameter R = 0.2 and 0.4. A data-driven statistical approach is used to correct the uncorrelated background jet yield. Recoil jet distributions are reported for jet transverse momentum 15 < p(T,jet)(ch) < 50 GeV/c and are compared in various intervals of p-Pb event activity, based on charged-particle multiplicity and zero-degree neutral energy in the forward (Pb-going) direction. The semi-inclusive observable is self-normalized and such comparisons do not require the interpretation of p-Pb event activity in terms of collision geometry, in contrast to inclusive jet observables. These measurements provide new constraints on the magnitude of jet quenching in small systems at the LHC. In p-Pb collisions with high event activity, the average medium-induced out-of-cone energy transport for jets with R = 0.4 and 15 < p(T,jet)(ch) < 50 GeV/c is measured to be less than 0.4 GeV/c at 90% confidence, which is over an order of magnitude smaller than a similar measurement for central Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV. Comparison is made to theoretical calculations of jet quenching in small systems, and to inclusive jet measurements in p-Pb collisions selected by event activity at the LHC and in d-Au collisions at RHIC

Azimuthal Anisotropy of Heavy-Flavor Decay Electrons in p -Pb Collisions at sNN =5.02 TeV

Angular conclations between heavy-flavor decay electrons and charged particles at midrapidity (vertical bar eta vertical bar < 0.8) are measured in p-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV. The analysis is carried out for the 0%-20% (high) and 60%-100% (low) multiplicity ranges. The jet contribution in the correlation distribution from high-multiplicity events is removed by subtracting the distribution from low-multiplicity events. An azimuthal modulation remains after removing the jet contribution, similar to previous observations in two-particle angular correlation measurements for light-flavor hadrons. A Fourier decomposition of the modulation results in a positive second-order coefficient (nu(2)) for heavy-flavor decay electrons in the transverse momentum interval 1.5 < p(T) < 4 GeV/c in high-multiplicity events, with a significance larger than 5 sigma. The results are compared with those of charged particles at midrapidity and those of inclusive muons at forward rapidity. The nu(2) measurement of open heavy-flavor particles at midrapidity in small collision systems could provide crucial information to help interpret the anisotropies observed in such systems

Relative particle yield fluctuations in Pb--Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76TeV

First results on K/pi, pi/pi and K/p fluctuations are obtained with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC as a function of centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at v root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV. The observable nu(dyn), which is defined in terms of the moments of particle multiplicity distributions, is used to quantify the magnitude of dynamical fluctuations of relative particle yields and also provides insight into the correlation between particle pairs. This study is based on a novel experimental technique, called the Identity Method, which allows one to measure the moments of multiplicity distributions in case of incomplete particle identification. The results for p/pi show a change of sign in.dyn from positive to negative towards more peripheral collisions. For central collisions, the results follow the smooth trend of the data at lower energies and.dyn exhibits a change in sign for p/pi and K/p. nu(dyn

Dielectron and heavy-quark production in inelastic and high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

The measurement of dielectron production is presented as a function of invariant mass and transverse momentum (p(T)) at midrapidity (vertical bar ye vertical bar )/dy vertical bar(y=0) = 974 +/- 138 (stat.) +/- 140 (syst.) +/- 214(BR) mu b and d sigma(b (b) over bar)/dy vertical bar(y=0) = 79 +/- 14 (stat.) +/- 11 (syst.) +/- 5(BR) mu b using PYTHIA simulations and d sigma(c (c) over bar)/dy vertical bar(y=0) = 1417 +/- 184 (stat.) +/- 204 (syst.) +/- 312(BR) mu b and d sigma(b (b) over bar)/dy vertical bar(y=0) = 48 +/- 14 (stat.) +/- 7 (syst.) +/- 3(BR) mu b for POWHEG. These values, whose uncertainties are fully correlated between the two generators, are consistent with extrapolations from lower energies. The different results obtained with POWHEG and PYTHIA imply different kinematic correlations of the heavy-quark pairs in these two generators. Furthermore, comparisons of dielectron spectra in inelastic events and in events collected with a trigger on high charged-particle multiplicities are presented in various p(T) intervals. The differences are consistent with the already measured scaling of light-hadron and open-charm production at high charged-particle multiplicity as a function of p(T). Upper limits for the contribution of virtual direct photons are extracted at 90% confidence level and found to be in agreement with pQCD calculations. (C) 2018 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V

Anisotropic flow of identified particles in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV

The elliptic (v(2)), triangular (v(3)), and quadrangular (v(4)) flow coefficients of pi(+/-), K-+/-, p + (p) over bar, Lambda + (Lambda) over bar, K-S(0)), and the phi-meson are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-s = 5.02 TeV. Results obtained with the scalar product method are reported for the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar v(2) at low P-T and pi(+/-) v(2) at intermediate p(T). The evolution of the shape of v(n) (p(T)) as a function of centrality and harmonic number n is studied for the various particle species. Flow coefficients of pi(+/-), K-+/- , and p + (p) over bar for p(T) < 3 GeV/c are compared to iEBE-VISHNU and MUSIC hydrodynamical calculations coupled to a hadronic cascade model (UrQMD). The iEBE-VISHNU calculations describe the results fairly well for P-T < 2.5 GeV/c, while MUSIC calculations reproduce the measurements for p(T) < 1 GeV/c. A comparison to vn coefficients measured in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-s = 2.76 TeV is also provided

Anisotropic flow in Xe–Xe collisions at sNN=5.44 TeV

The first measurements of anisotropic flow coefficients v(n) for mid-rapidity charged particles in Xe-Xe collisions at root s(NN)=5.44TeV are presented. Comparing these measurements to those from Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV, v(2) is found to be suppressed for mid-central collisions at the same centrality, and enhanced for central collisions. The values of v(3) are generally larger in Xe-Xe than in Pb-Pb at a given centrality. These observations are consistent with expectations from hydrodynamic predictions. When both v(2) and v(3) are divided by their corresponding eccentricities for a variety of initial state models, they generally scale with transverse density when comparing Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb, with some deviations observed in central Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb collisions. These results assist in placing strong constraints on both the initial state geometry and medium response for relativistic heavy-ion collisions. (c) 2018 European Organization for Nuclear Research. Published by Elsevier B.V