Charmonium production in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 and 5.02 TeV with ALICE

The production of charmonium states, J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S), in heavy-ion collisions, is an important probe to investigate the formation of a plasma of quarks and gluons (QGP). In a hot and deconfined medium, quarkonium production is, indeed, expected to be significantly modified, with respect to the pp yields, due to a balance of color screening and charm-quark recombination mechanisms. The ALICE Collaboration at the LHC has measured charmonium production in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s}_{\rm NN} =$ 2.76 and 5.02 TeV. The nuclear modification factor of inclusive J/$\psi$, evaluated at forward ($-4<\eta<-2.5$) rapidity, is measured as a function of the centrality of the collision and of the J/$\psi$ kinematic variables as transverse momentum and rapidity. In this article, we report on the new J/$\psi$ results, obtained at forward rapidity, at $\sqrt{s}_{\rm NN} = 5.02$ TeV. These new results are compared to the J/$\psi$ nuclear modification factor obtained at $\sqrt{s}_{\rm NN} =$ 2.76 TeV and to the available theoretical predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Strangeness in Quark Matter 2016, UC Berkeley, United States, 27 June-1 July, 201

Inclusive ψ\psi(2S) production at forward rapidity in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions with ALICE at the LHC

The ALICE Collaboration has studied inclusive $\psi$(2S) production in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions with the ALICE Muon Spectrometer which covers the rapidity range 2.5 $<$ $y_{\rm lab}$ $<$ 4. The $\psi$(2S) measurement was performed in the dimuon decay channel. The $\psi$(2S) production cross-section and $\psi$(2S) to J/$\psi$ cross-section ratio in pp collisions will be presented, both integrated and differential in rapidity and in transverse momentum. In p-Pb collisions, $\psi$(2S) results will be compared to the J/$\psi$ ones by means of the production cross-section ratio and the double ratio [$\psi$(2S)/J/$\psi$]$_{{\mathrm {pPb}}}$/[$\psi$(2S)/J/$\psi$]$_{{\mathrm {pp}}}$ studied as a function of the resonance transverse momentum and event activity of the collision. The $\psi$(2S) nuclear modification factor, $R_{{\mathrm {pPb}}}$, will also be presented. Theoretical models based on nuclear shadowing, coherent energy loss or both cannot describe our results. Therefore other mechanisms must be invoked in order to describe the $\psi$(2S) production. Finally, results on $\psi$(2S) production in Pb-Pb collisions will be shown in two transverse momentum ranges as a function of centrality.Comment: 7 pages, 12 figures, 7th International Conference on Physics and Astrophysics of Quark Gluon Plasma, Kolkata, India, 1-5 February, 201

Inclusive J/ψ\psi and ψ\psi(2S) production in pp and p-Pb collisions at forward rapidity with ALICE at the LHC

The ALICE collaboration has studied inclusive J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) production at forward rapidities in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV with the ALICE Muon Spectrometer. The analysis has been carried out on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity $\mathcal{L}_{\rm int}$ = 1.35 pb$^{-1}$. The production cross-sections of J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S), integrated over the transverse momentum (0 $<$ $p_{{\mathrm T}}$ $<$ 20 GeV/$c$) and rapidity (2.5 $<$ $y$ $<$ 4), have been measured. The J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) differential cross-sections, in transverse momentum and rapidity, have also been measured, significantly extending the $p_{{\mathrm T}}$ reach of previous measurements performed in the same $y$-range. The results have been compared with the previously published ALICE results ($\mathcal{L}_{\rm int}$ = 15.6 nb$^{-1}$) and also with the measurement performed by the LHCb collaboration. The $\psi$(2S)/J/$\psi$ ratio, integrated over $p_{{\mathrm T}}$ and $y$, has been measured. This ratio has also been evaluated as a function of transverse momentum and rapidity and compared with the LHCb measurement. Finally, recent results on cross-sections, $\psi$(2S)/J/$\psi$ production ratio, nuclear modification factor ($R_{\rm pPb}$) and forward-to-backward yield ratio ($R_{\rm FB}$) in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV will be discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figures, contribution to the proceedings of the International Conference on Matter at Extreme Conditions : Then & Now, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India, January 15-17, 201

Suppression of inclusive J/ψ\mathbf{\psi} and ψ\mathbf{\psi}(2S) production in p-Pb collisions with ALICE at the LHC

The ALICE Collaboration has studied inclusive J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) production in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV with the Muon Spectrometer. The measurement was performed at forward (2.03 $<$ $y_{\rm cms}$ $<$ 3.53) and backward ($-$4.46 $<$ $y_{\rm cms}$ $<$ $-$2.96) centre of mass rapidities. The nuclear modification factor of J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) has been measured as a function of transverse momentum and event activity. Theoretical models based on nuclear shadowing, coherent energy loss or both are in reasonable agreement with the J/$\psi$ results but cannot describe the $\psi$(2S) behaviour. Other mechanisms must be invoked in order to explain the $\psi$(2S) suppression in p-Pb collisions.Comment: 2 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of Symposium on Nuclear Physics, BHU, Varanasi, India, December 8-12, 201

Inclusive J/ψ\psi and ψ\psi(2S) production in pp collisions at s=7\sqrt{s} = 7 TeV at forward rapidity with ALICE at LHC

The ALICE collaboration has studied inclusive J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) production at forward rapidities in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV with the ALICE Muon Spectrometer. The analysis has been carried out on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity $\mathcal{L}_{\rm int}$ = 1.35 pb$^{-1}$. The production cross-sections of J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S), integrated over \pt\ (0 $<$ \pt\ $<$ 20 GeV/$c$) and \y\ (2.5 $<$ \y\ $<$ 4), have been measured. The J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) differential cross-sections, in transverse momentum and rapidity, have also been measured. The results have been compared with the previous ALICE published results at $\mathcal{L}_{\rm int}$ = 15.6 nb$^{-1}$ and also with the measurement performed by LHCb collaboration. The $\psi$(2S)/J/$\psi$ production ratio (acceptance corrected) integrated over \pt\ and \y\ has been measured. This ratio have also been measured as a function of transverse momentum and rapidity. The ratio as a function of transverse momentum has been compared with the LHCb measurement.Comment: 2 pages, 7 figures, Proceedings of International Symposium on Nuclear Physics, BARC, Mumbai, India, December 2-6, 201

ψ\psi(2S) production and nuclear modification factor in nucleus--nucleus collisions with ALICE

Charmonium production is a probe sensitive to deconfinement in nucleus--nucleus collisions. The production of J/$\psi$ via regeneration within the QGP or at the phase boundary has been identified as an important ingredient for the description of the observed centrality and $p_{\rm T}$ dependence at the LHC. $\psi$(2S) production relative to J/$\psi$ is one possible discriminator between the two different regeneration scenarios. At RHIC and at the LHC, there is so far no significant observation of the $\psi$(2S) in nucleus--nucleus collisions in central events at low transverse momentum, where regeneration is the dominating process. The combined Run 2 data set of ALICE allows to extract a significant $\psi$(2S) signal in such a kinematic region at forward rapidity in the dimuon decay channel. In this contribution, we present for the first time results on the $\psi$(2S)-to-J/$\psi$ double ratio and the $\psi$(2S) nuclear modification factor in Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV, calculated with respect to a new pp reference with improved precision. Results are compared with model calculations.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, 41st International Conference on High Energy physics - ICHEP2022, 6--13 July, 2022, Bologna, Ital

Recent ALICE results on quarkonium production in nuclear collisions

Quarkonium production has long been regarded as a potential signature of deconfinement in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Recently, the production of J/$\psi$ via regeneration within the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) or at the phase boundary has been identified as an important ingredient for the interpretation of quarkonium production results from lead-lead collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Quarkonium polarization could also be used to investigate the properties of the hot and dense medium created at the LHC energies. In this contribution, the latest ALICE results on quarkonium will be presented and discussed. These include, among others, the nuclear modifications of (prompt and non-prompt) J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) production, and the J/$\psi$ polarisation, all measured with lead-lead collisions at the LHC. The results will be compared with available theoretical model calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figures, The 28th International Nuclear Physics Conference, 11--16th September 2022, Cape Town, South Afric

Charmonium production in pp collisions at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

We have performed a systematic study of J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) production in p--p collisions at different Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies and at different rapidities using the leading order non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics model of heavy quarkonium production. We have included the contributions from hiher excited states decaying to J$\psi$ . The calculated values have been compared with the available data from the four experiments at LHC, namely ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb. In the case of ALICE, inclusive J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) cross-sections have been calculated by including the feed-down from B mesons using a fixed-order next-to-leading logarithm formalism. It is found that all the experimental cross-sections are well described for $p_{\rm T} >$ 3 GeV within the theoretical uncertainties arising due to the choices of the factorization and renormalization scales.Comment: 2 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of International Symposium on Nuclear Physics, BARC, Mumbai, India, December 2--6, 201

Anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-breast cancer properties unraveled in yeast carotenoids produced via cost-effective fermentation technique utilizing waste hydrolysate

IntroductionNatural carotenoids are well known for their anti-oxidant property and also shown to have antimicrobial and anticancer efficacy. Production of carotenoids from microbial resources mainly from yeast has attracted commercial interest. Breast cancer has the highest incidence among women, and therapy resistance and lack of effective therapeutic strategies are major treatment bottlenecks, particularly for triple-negative subtypes. Yeast carotenoids are recently being evaluated for affordable, non-toxic, natural product-based therapies. In the present study, we have shown an environment-friendly and inexpensive method for carotenoid production from yeasts, utilizing “mandi” wastes, and investigated the biomedical properties of carotenoids, particularly antineoplastic properties.MethodsVegetable “mandi” waste was used to prepare waste hydrolysate, a culture medium, in which oleaginous red yeast Rhodosporidium sp. was grown. Carotenoid pigments were extracted using the solvent extraction method and analyzed by UV spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of the extract were evaluated, followed by in silico docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity (ADME/T) studies.ResultsCarotenoid extract was found to be composed of three main pigments-β-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin. Extract exhibited significant antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-breast cancer activities in vitro while being biocompatible. Interestingly, carotenoids have shown better efficacy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells than ER+PR+ cells. In silico evaluation predicted binding with breast cancer-specific molecular targets, specifically the three components showed good binding energy toward VEGF receptors and good drug likeliness properties, as well as less toxicity.DiscussionThis is the first report on anti-breast cancer activities, particularly targeting TNBC cells by red yeast carotenoids (β-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin) produced via a sustainable environment-friendly bioprocess utilizing waste hydrolysate