Measurement of the production cross section of prompt Ξ0c baryons in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

The transverse momentum (pT) differential production cross section of the promptly-produced charm-strange baryon Ξ0c (and its charge conjugate Ξ0c¯¯¯¯¯¯) is measured at midrapidity via its hadronic decay into π+Ξ− in p−Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon−nucleon collision sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The Ξ0c nuclear modification factor (RpPb), calculated from the cross sections in pp and p−Pb collisions, is presented and compared with the RpPb of Λ+c baryons. The ratios between the pT-differential production cross section of Ξ0c baryons and those of D0 mesons and Λ+c baryons are also reported and compared with results at forward and backward rapidity from the LHCb Collaboration. The measurements of the production cross section of prompt Ξ0c baryons are compared with a model based on perturbative QCD calculations of charm-quark production cross sections, which includes only cold nuclear matter effects in p−Pb collisions, and underestimates the measurement by a factor of about 50. This discrepancy is reduced when the data is compared with a model in which hadronisation is implemented via quark coalescence. The pT-integrated cross section of prompt Ξ0c-baryon production at midrapidity extrapolated down to pT = 0 is also reported. These measurements offer insights and constraints for theoretical calculations of the hadronisation process. Additionally, they provide inputs for the calculation of the charm production cross section in p−Pb collisions at midrapidity

Measurement of Ω0c baryon production and branching-fraction ratio BR(Ω0c → Ω−e+νe)/BR(Ω0c → Ω−π+) in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

The inclusive production of the charm-strange baryon Ω0c is measured for the first time via its semileptonic decay into Ω−e+νe at midrapidity (|y| < 0.8) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy √s = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2 < pT < 12 GeV/c. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ω0c → Ω−e+νe)/BR(Ω0c → Ω−π+) is measured to be 1.12 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.27 (syst.). Comparisons with other experimental measurements, as well as with theoretical calculations, are presented

Exclusive four pion photoproduction in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 TeV

International audienceThe intense photon fluxes from relativistic nuclei provide an opportunity to study photonuclear interactions in ultraperipheral collisions. The measurement of coherently photoproduced $\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$ final states in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV is presented for the first time. The cross section, d$\sigma$/d$y$, times the branching ratio ($\rho\rightarrow \pi^+ \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^-$) is found to be $47.8\pm2.3~\rm{(stat.)}\pm7.7~\rm{(syst.)}$ mb in the rapidity interval $|y| < 0.5$. The invariant mass distribution is not well described with a single Breit-Wigner resonance. The production of two interfering resonances, $\rho(1450)$ and $\rho(1700)$, provides a good description of the data. The values of the masses ($m$) and widths ($\Gamma$) of the resonances extracted from the fit are $m_{1}=1385\pm14~\rm{(stat.)}\pm3~\rm{(syst.)}$ MeV/$c^2$, $\Gamma_{1}=431\pm36~\rm{(stat.)}\pm82~\rm{(syst.)}$ MeV/$c^2$, $m_{2}=1663\pm13~\rm{(stat.)}\pm22~\rm{(syst.)}$ MeV/$c^2$ and $\Gamma_{2}=357 \pm31~\rm{(stat.)}\pm49~\rm{(syst.)}$ MeV/$c^2$, respectively. The measured cross sections times the branching ratios are compared to recent theoretical predictions

Measurement of the production and elliptic flow of (anti)nuclei in Xe-Xe collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.44 TeV

Measurements of (anti)deuteron and (anti)$^3$He production in the rapidity range $|y| <$ 0.5 as a function of the transverse momentum and event multiplicity in Xe$-$Xe collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon$-$nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV are presented. The coalescence parameters $B_2$ and $B_3$ are measured as a function of the transverse momentum per nucleon. The ratios between (anti)deuteron and (anti)$^3$He yields and those of (anti)protons and pions are reported as a function of the mean charged-particle multiplicity density, and compared with two implementations of the statistical hadronization model (SHM) and with coalescence predictions. The elliptic flow of (anti)deuterons is measured for the first time in Xe$-$Xe collisions and shows features similar to those already observed in Pb$-$Pb collisions, i.e., the mass ordering at low transverse momentum and the meson$-$baryon grouping at intermediate transverse momentum. The production of nuclei is particularly sensitive to the chemical freeze-out temperature of the system created in the collision, which is extracted from a grand-canonical-ensemble-based thermal fit, performed for the first time including light nuclei along with light-flavor hadrons in Xe$-$Xe collisions. The extracted chemical freeze-out temperature $T_{\rm chem}$ = (154.2 $\pm$ 1.1) MeV in Xe$-$Xe collisions is similar to that observed in Pb$-$Pb collisions and close to the crossover temperature predicted by lattice QCD calculations.Measurements of (anti)deuteron and (anti)$^3$He production in the rapidity range $|y| <$ 0.5 as a function of the transverse momentum and event multiplicity in Xe$-$Xe collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon$-$nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV are presented. The coalescence parameters $B_2$ and $B_3$ are measured as a function of the transverse momentum per nucleon. The ratios between (anti)deuteron and (anti)$^3$He yields and those of (anti)protons and pions are reported as a function of the mean charged-particle multiplicity density, and compared with two implementations of the statistical hadronization model (SHM) and with coalescence predictions. The elliptic flow of (anti)deuterons is measured for the first time in Xe$-$Xe collisions and shows features similar to those already observed in Pb$-$Pb collisions, i.e., the mass ordering at low transverse momentum and the meson$-$baryon grouping at intermediate transverse momentum. The production of nuclei is particularly sensitive to the chemical freeze-out temperature of the system created in the collision, which is extracted from a grand-canonical-ensemble-based thermal fit, performed for the first time including light nuclei along with light-flavor hadrons in Xe$-$Xe collisions. The extracted chemical freeze-out temperature $T_{\rm chem}$ = (154.2 $\pm$ 1.1) MeV in Xe$-$Xe collisions is similar to that observed in Pb$-$Pb collisions and close to the crossover temperature predicted by lattice QCD calculations

Measurement of Λ3H{}_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H} production in Pb−-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02 TeV

The first measurement of $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ and $^3_ {\overline{\Lambda}}\overline{\mathrm{H}}$ differential production with respect to transverse momentum and centrality in Pb$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$~TeV is presented. The $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ has been reconstructed via its two-charged-body decay channel, i.e., $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H} \rightarrow {}^{3}\mathrm{He} + \pi^{-}$. A Blast-Wave model fit of the $p_{\rm T}$-differential spectra of all nuclear species measured by the ALICE collaboration suggests that the $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ kinetic freeze-out surface is consistent with that of other nuclei. The ratio between the integrated yields of $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ and $^3\mathrm{He}$ is compared to predictions from the statistical hadronisation model and the coalescence model, with the latter being favoured by the presented measurements.The first measurement of $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ and $^3_ {\overline{\Lambda}}\overline{\mathrm{H}}$ differential production with respect to transverse momentum and centrality in Pb$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$~TeV is presented. The $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ has been reconstructed via its two-charged-body decay channel, i.e., $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H} \rightarrow {}^{3}\mathrm{He} + \pi^{-}$. A Blast-Wave model fit of the $p_{\rm T}$-differential spectra of all nuclear species measured by the ALICE collaboration suggests that the $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ kinetic freeze-out surface is consistent with that of other nuclei. The ratio between the integrated yields of $_{\Lambda}^{3}\mathrm{H}$ and $^3\mathrm{He}$ is compared to predictions from the statistical hadronisation model and the coalescence model, with the latter being favoured by the presented measurements

Investigating strangeness enhancement with multiplicity in pp collisions using angular correlations

A study of strange hadron production associated with hard scattering processes and with the underlying event is conducted to investigate the origin of the enhanced production of strange hadrons in small collision systems characterised by large charged-particle multiplicities. For this purpose, the production of the single-strange meson K0S and the double-strange baryon Ξ± is measured, in each event, in the azimuthal direction of the highest-pT particle (``trigger" particle), related to hard scattering processes, and in the direction transverse to it in azimuth, associated with the underlying event, in pp collisions at s√=5.02 TeV and s√=13 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The per-trigger yields of K0S and Ξ± are dominated by the transverse-to-leading production (i.e., in the direction transverse to the trigger particle), whose contribution relative to the toward-leading production is observed to increase with the event charged-particle multiplicity. The transverse-to-leading and the toward-leading Ξ±/K0S yield ratios increase with the multiplicity of charged particles, suggesting that strangeness enhancement with multiplicity is associated with both hard scattering processes and the underlying event. The relative production of Ξ± with respect to K0S is higher in transverse-to-leading processes over the whole multiplicity interval covered by the measurement. The K0S and Ξ± per-trigger yields and yield ratios are compared with predictions of three different phenomenological models, namely PYTHIA 8.2 with the Monash tune, PYTHIA 8.2 with ropes and EPOS LHC. The comparison shows that none of them can quantitatively describe either the transverse-to-leading or the toward-leading yields of K0S and Ξ±

K∗^{*}(892)±^{\pm} resonance production in Pb−-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 TeV

International audienceThe production of K$^*$(892)$^\pm$ meson resonance is measured at midrapidity ($|y|8$ GeV/$c$, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium

Investigating Λ\Lambda baryon production in p−-Pb collisions in jets and underlying event using angular correlations

This paper presents the first measurements of hadron(h)$-\Lambda$ azimuthal angular correlations in p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. These correlations are used to separate the production of associated $\Lambda$ baryons into three different kinematic regions, namely those produced in the direction of the trigger particle (near-side), those produced in the opposite direction (away-side), and those whose production is uncorrelated with the jet-axis (underlying event). The per-trigger associated $\Lambda$ yields in these regions are extracted, along with the near- and away-side azimuthal peak widths, and the results are studied as a function of associated particle $p_{\rm T}$ and event multiplicity. Comparisons with the DPMJET event generator and previous measurements of the $\phi(1020)$ meson are also made. The final results indicate that strangeness production in the highest multiplicity p$-$Pb collisions is enhanced relative to low multiplicity collisions in the jet-like regions, as well as the underlying event. The production of $\Lambda$ relative to charged hadrons is also enhanced in the underlying event when compared to the jet-like regions. Additionally, the results hint that strange quark production in the away-side of the jet is modified by soft interactions with the underlying event.First measurements of hadron(h)$-\Lambda$ azimuthal angular correlations in p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. These correlations are used to separate the production of associated $\Lambda$ baryons into three different kinematic regions, namely those produced in the direction of the trigger particle (near-side), those produced in the opposite direction (away-side), and those whose production is uncorrelated with the jet-axis (underlying event). The per-trigger associated $\Lambda$ yields in these regions are extracted, along with the near- and away-side azimuthal peak widths, and the results are studied as a function of associated particle $p_{\rm T}$ and event multiplicity. Comparisons with the DPMJET event generator and previous measurements of the $\phi(1020)$ meson are also made. The final results indicate that strangeness production in the highest multiplicity p$-$Pb collisions is enhanced relative to low multiplicity collisions in the jet-like regions, as well as the underlying event. The production of $\Lambda$ relative to charged hadrons is also enhanced in the underlying event when compared to the jet-like regions. Additionally, the results hint that strange quark production in the away-side of the jet is modified by soft interactions with the underlying event

Systematic study of flow vector decorrelation in sNN=5.02\mathbf{\sqrt{\textit{s}_{_{\bf NN}}}=5.02} TeV Pb-Pb collisions

International audienceMeasurements of the $p_{\rm T}$-dependent flow vector fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} = 5.02~\mathrm{TeV}$ using azimuthal correlations with the ALICE experiment at the LHC are presented. A four-particle correlation approach [1] is used to quantify the effects of flow angle and magnitude fluctuations separately. This paper extends previous studies to additional centrality intervals and provides measurements of the $p_{\rm T}$-dependent flow vector fluctuations at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} = 5.02~\mathrm{TeV}$ with two-particle correlations. Significant $p_{\rm T}$-dependent fluctuations of the $\vec{V}_{2}$ flow vector in Pb-Pb collisions are found across different centrality ranges, with the largest fluctuations of up to $\sim$15% being present in the 5% most central collisions. In parallel, no evidence of significant $p_{\rm T}$-dependent fluctuations of $\vec{V}_{3}$ or $\vec{V}_{4}$ is found. Additionally, evidence of flow angle and magnitude fluctuations is observed with more than $5\sigma$ significance in central collisions. These observations in Pb-Pb collisions indicate where the classical picture of hydrodynamic modeling with a common symmetry plane breaks down. This has implications for hard probes at high $p_{\rm T}$, which might be biased by $p_{\rm T}$-dependent flow angle fluctuations of at least 23% in central collisions. Given the presented results, existing theoretical models should be re-examined to improve our understanding of initial conditions, quark--gluon plasma (QGP) properties, and the dynamic evolution of the created system

Measurement of Ωc0\Omega^0_{\rm c} baryon production and branching-fraction ratio BR(Ωc0→Ω−e+νe)/BR(Ωc0→Ω−π+){\rm BR(\Omega^0_c \rightarrow \Omega^- e^+\nu_e)} / {\rm BR(\Omega^0_c \rightarrow \Omega^- \pi^+)} in pp collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

International audienceThe inclusive production of the charm-strange baryon $\Omega^{0}_{\rm c}$ is measured for the first time via its semileptonic decay into $\Omega^{-}\rm e^{+}\nu_{e}$ at midrapidity ($|y|<0.8$) in proton$-$proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval $2<p_{\rm T}<12~{\rm GeV}/c$. The branching-fraction ratio ${\rm BR}(\Omega^0_{\rm c} \rightarrow \Omega^{-}{\rm e}^{+}\nu_{\rm e})/ {\rm BR}(\Omega^0_{\rm c} \rightarrow \Omega^{-}{\pi}^{+})$ is measured to be 1.12 $\pm$ 0.22 (stat.) $\pm$ 0.27 (syst.). Comparisons with other experimental measurements, as well as with theoretical calculations, are presented