Charged-particle multiplicity fluctuations in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV

Measurements of event-by-event fluctuations of charged-particle multiplicities in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV using the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are presented in the pseudorapidity range |η|<0.8 and transverse momentum 0.2<pT<2.0 GeV/c. The amplitude of the fluctuations is expressed in terms of the variance normalized by the mean of the multiplicity distribution. The η and pT dependences of the fluctuations and their evolution with respect to collision centrality are investigated. The multiplicity fluctuations tend to decrease from peripheral to central collisions. The results are compared to those obtained from HIJING and AMPT Monte Carlo event generators as well as to experimental data at lower collision energies. Additionally, the measured multiplicity fluctuations are discussed in the context of the isothermal compressibility of the high-density strongly-interacting system formed in central Pb–Pb collisions.publishedVersio

Measurement of the production of (anti)nuclei in p–Pb collisions at sNN=8.16TeV

Measurements of (anti)proton, (anti)deuteron, and (anti)3He production in the rapidity range -1 > y > 0 as a function of the transverse momentum and event multiplicity in p–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon–nucleon pair sqrt(sNN) = 8.16 TeV are presented. The coalescence parameters B2 and B3, measured as a function of the transverse momentum per nucleon and of the mean charged-particle multiplicity density, confirm a smooth evolution from low to high multiplicity across different collision systems and energies. The ratios between (anti)deuteron and (anti)3He yields and those of (anti)protons are also reported as a function of the mean charged-particle multiplicity density. A comparison with the predictions of the statistical hadronization and coalescence models for different collision systems and center-of-mass energies favors the coalescence description for the deuteron-to-proton yield ratio with respect to the canonical statistical model

Polarization of Λ and Λ¯ Hyperons along the Beam Direction in Pb-Pb Collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

The polarization of the Lambda and (Lambda) over bar hyperons along the beam (z) direction, P-z, has been measured in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV recorded with ALICE at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The main contribution to P-z comes from elliptic flow-induced vorticity and can be characterized by the second Fourier sine coefficient P-z,P-s2 = &lt; P-z sin(2 phi - 2 Psi(2))&gt;, where phi is the hyperon azimuthal emission angle and Psi(2) is the elliptic flow plane angle. We report the measurement of P-z,P-s2 for different collision centralities and in the 30%-50% centrality interval as a function of the hyperon transverse momentum and rapidity. The P-z,P-s2 is positive similarly as measured by the STAR Collaboration in Au-Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, with somewhat smaller amplitude in the semicentral collisions. This is the first experimental evidence of a nonzero hyperon P-z in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. The comparison of the measured P-z,P-s2 with the hydrodynamic model calculations shows sensitivity to the competing contributions from thermal and the recently found shear-induced vorticity, as well as to whether the polarization is acquired at the quark-gluon plasma or the hadronic phase

Measurement of the Lifetime and Λ Separation Energy of _{Λ}^{3}H

The most precise measurements to date of the _{Λ}^{3}H lifetime τ and Λ separation energy B_{Λ} are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The _{Λ}^{3}H is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (_{Λ}^{3}H→^{3}He+π^{-} and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11(stat)±6(syst)]  ps and B_{Λ}=[102±63(stat)±67(syst)]  keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the _{Λ}^{3}H structure is consistent with a weakly bound system

Observation of a multiplicity dependence in the pT-differential charm baryon-to-meson ratios in proton–proton collisions at √ s = 13 TeV

The production of prompt D-0, D-s(+) and Lambda(+)(c) hadrons, and their ratios, D-s(+)/D-0 and Lambda(+)(c)/D-0, are measured in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV at midrapidity (vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.5) with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed as a function of the charm-hadron transverse momentum (p(T)) in intervals of charged-particle multiplicity, measured with two multiplicity estimators covering different pseudorapidity regions. While the strange to non-strange D-s(+)/D-0 ratio indicates no significant multiplicity dependence, the baryon-to-meson P-T-differential Lambda(+)(c)/D-0 ratio shows a multiplicity-dependent enhancement, with a significance of 5.3 sigma for 1 < p(T) < 12 GeV/c, comparing the highest multiplicity interval with respect to the lowest one. The measurements are compared with a theoretical model that explains the multiplicity dependence by a canonical treatment of quantum charges in the statistical hadronisation approach, and with predictions from event generators that implement colour reconnection mechanisms beyond the leading colour approximation to model the hadronisation process. The Lambda(+)(c)/D-0 ratios as a function of p(T) present a similar shape and magnitude as the Lambda/K-s(0) ratios in comparable multiplicity intervals, suggesting a potential common mechanism for light- and charmhadron formation, with analogous multiplicity dependence. The p(T)-integrated ratios, extrapolated down to p(T) = 0, do not show a significant dependence on multiplicity within the uncertainties. (C) 2022 European Organization for Nuclear Research. Published by Elsevier B.V

K0SK0S and K0SK± femtoscopy in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 and 13 TeV

Femtoscopic correlations with the particle pair combinations (KSKS0)-K-0 and (KSK +/-)-K-0 are studied in pp collisions at root s= 5.02 and 13 TeV by the ALICE experiment. At both energies, boson source parameters are extracted for both pair combinations, by fitting models based on Gaussian size distributions of the sources, to the measured two-particle correlation functions. The interaction model used for the (KSKS0)-K-0 analysis includes quantum statistics and strong final-state interactions through the f(0) (980) and a(0) (980) resonances. The model used for the (KSK +/-)-K-0 analysis includes only the final-state interaction through the a(0) resonance. Source parameters extracted in the present work are compared with published values from pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV and the different pair combinations are found to be consistent. From the observation that the strength of the (KSKS0)-K-0 correlations is significantly greater than the strength of the (KSK +/-)-K-0 correlations, the new results are compatible with the a(0) resonance being a tetraquark state of the form (q(1), (q(2)) over bar, s, (s) over bar), where q(1) and q(2) are uor d quarks. (C) 2022 European Organization for Nuclear Research, ALICE. Published by Elsevier B.V

Observation of flow angle and flow magnitude fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

This Letter reports on the first measurements of transverse momentum dependent flow angle n and flow magnitude vn fluctuations determined using new four-particle correlators. The measurements are performed for various centralities in Pb–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of √s NN = 5.02 TeV with ALICE at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Both flow angle and flow magnitude fluctuations are observed in the presented centrality ranges and are strongest in the most central collisions and for a transverse momentum pT > 2 GeV/c. Comparison with theoretical models, including iEBE-VISHNU, MUSIC, and AMPT, show that the measurements exhibit unique sensitivities to the initial state of heavy-ion collisions

Coherent J/ψ and ψ photoproduction at midrapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

The coherent photoproduction of J/ψJ/ψ and ψ′ψ′ mesons was measured in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sNN−−−√ = 5.02sNN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector. Charmonia are detected in the central rapidity region for events where the hadronic interactions are strongly suppressed. The J/ψJ/ψ is reconstructed using the dilepton (l+l−l+l−) and proton–antiproton decay channels, while for the ψ′ψ′ the dilepton and the l+l−π+π−l+l−π+π− decay channels are studied. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 233 μb−1μb−1. The results are compared with theoretical models for coherent J/ψJ/ψ and ψ′ψ′ photoproduction. The coherent cross section is found to be in a good agreement with models incorporating moderate nuclear gluon shadowing of about 0.64 at a Bjorken-x of around 6×10−46×10−4, such as the EPS09 parametrization, however none of the models is able to fully describe the rapidity dependence of the coherent J/ψJ/ψ cross section including ALICE measurements at forward rapidity. The ratio of ψ′ψ′ to J/ψJ/ψ coherent photoproduction cross sections was also measured and found to be consistent with the one for photoproduction off protons.publishedVersio

Measurement of beauty and charm production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV via non-prompt and prompt D mesons

The pT-differential production cross sections of prompt and non-prompt (produced in beauty-hadron decays) D mesons were measured by the ALICE experiment at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at s√s = 5.02 TeV. The data sample used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of (19.3 ± 0.4) nb−1. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D0 → K−π+, D+ → K−π+π+, and D+s→φπ+→K−K+π+Ds+→φπ+→K−K+π+ and their charge conjugates. Compared to previous measurements in the same rapidity region, the cross sections of prompt D+ and D+sDs+ mesons have an extended pT coverage and total uncertainties reduced by a factor ranging from 1.05 to 1.6, depending on pT, allowing for a more precise determination of their pT-integrated cross sections. The results are well described by perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of heavy quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, fs/(fu + fd), is compatible for charm and beauty quarks and with previous measurements at different centre-of-mass energies and collision systems. The bb¯¯¯bb¯ production cross section per rapidity unit at midrapidity, estimated from non-prompt D-meson measurements, is dσbb¯¯¯/dy∣∣|y|<0.5=34.5±2.4(stat)+4.7−2.9(tot.syst)dσbb¯/dy||y|<0.5=34.5±2.4(stat)−2.9+4.7(tot.syst) μb. It is compatible with previous measurements at the same centre-of-mass energy and with the cross section pre- dicted by perturbative QCD calculations.publishedVersio

First study of the two-body scattering involving charm hadrons

This article presents the first measurement of the interaction between charm hadrons and nucleons. The two-particle momentum correlations of pD− and ¯pD+ pairs are measured by the ALICE Collaboration in high-multiplicity pp collisions at √s=13  TeV. The data are compatible with the Coulomb-only interaction hypothesis within (1.1–1.5)σ. The level of agreement slightly improves if an attractive nucleon (N)¯D strong interaction is considered, in contrast to most model predictions which suggest an overall repulsive interaction. This measurement allows for the first time an estimation of the 68% confidence level interval for the isospin I=0 inverse scattering length of the N¯D state f−10,I=0∈[−0.4,0.9]  fm−1, assuming negligible interaction for the isospin I=1 channel