Studio di tecniche di machine learning per la ricostruzione del barione charmato Λc in ALICE ad LHC

L'esperimento ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), situato al Large Hadron Collider (LHC) del CERN, è dedicato allo studio delle collisioni tra ioni pesanti ultrarelativistici, in particolare di ioni di piombo, fino ad energie di 5.5 TeV per coppia di nucleoni nel centro di massa. L'obbiettivo principale dell'esperimento è indagare lo stato della materia che si forma in condizioni di alta temperatura e densità di energia, noto come Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). Il QGP risulta essere difficilmente osservabile e avendo una vita media estremamente breve, le prove della sua esistenza sono tutte dovute a misure indirette. Uno degli strumenti fondamentali per investigare le sue proprietà è lo studio dei quark pesanti. Essi infatti, grazie alle loro masse elevate, vengono prodotti nelle primissime fasi della collisione e, propagandosi all'interno del mezzo, interagiscono con i suoi costituenti durante tutta l'evoluzione del sistema, fornendo misure sulle sue proprietà. In particolare, in questa tesi è stato preso in considerazione il barione charmato Λc^{+} nel suo canale di decadimento Λc^{+} → p + Ks^{0}. A causa delle breve vita media e del basso rapporto tra segnale e fondo, la ricostruzione di tale particella risulta complicata e si rende necessario l’uso di tecniche di analisi multivariata, che permettono di considerare contemporaneamente e indipendentemente più variabili per evento, e di sfruttare tutte le informazioni disponibili attraverso metodi di machine learning. Nella presente tesi sono state analizzate e confrontate tre diverse tecniche per l’estrazione del segnale: i tagli rettangolari, le reti neurali e i Boosted Decision Tree (BDT). Viene in particolare riportata una descrizione dei tre metodi, compresi i principi di funzionamento e i parametri di configurazione adottati, e un confronto tra le loro performance

Studying the interaction between charm and light-flavor mesons

International audienceThe two-particle momentum correlation functions between charm mesons ($\mathrm{D^{*\pm}}$ and $\mathrm{D}^\pm$) and charged light-flavor mesons ($\pi^{\pm}$ and K$^{\pm}$) in all charge-combinations are measured for the first time by the ALICE Collaboration in high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} =13$ TeV. For $\mathrm{DK}$ and $\mathrm{D^*K}$ pairs, the experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions of the residual strong interaction based on quantum chromodynamics calculations on the lattice and chiral effective field theory. In the case of $\mathrm{D}\pi$ and $\mathrm{D^*}\pi$ pairs, tension between the calculations including strong interactions and the measurement is observed. For all particle pairs, the data can be adequately described by Coulomb interaction only, indicating a shallow interaction between charm and light-flavor mesons. Finally, the scattering lengths governing the residual strong interaction of the $\mathrm{D}\pi$ and $\mathrm{D^*}\pi$ systems are determined by fitting the experimental correlation functions with a model that employs a Gaussian potential. The extracted values are small and compatible with zero

Measurement of beauty-quark production in pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s}=13 TeV via non-prompt D mesons

International audienceThe $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections of non-prompt ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, and ${\rm D_s^+}$ mesons originating from beauty-hadron decays are measured in proton$-$proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ of 13 TeV. The measurements are performed at midrapidity, $|y| < 0.5$, with the data sample collected by ALICE from 2016 to 2018. The results are in agreement with predictions from several perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of beauty quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, $f_{\rm{s}}/(f_{\rm{u}} + f_{\rm{d}})$, is found to be $0.114 \pm 0.016~{\rm (stat.)} \pm 0.006~{\rm (syst.)} \pm 0.003~{\rm (BR)} \pm 0.003~{\rm (extrap.)}$. This value is compatible with previous measurements at lower centre-of-mass energies and in different collision systems in agreement with the assumption of universality of fragmentation functions. In addition, the dependence of the non-prompt D meson production on the centre-of-mass energy is investigated by comparing the results obtained at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ and 13 TeV, showing a hardening of the non-prompt D-meson $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross section at higher $\sqrt{s}$. Finally, the ${\rm b\overline{b}}$ production cross section per unit of rapidity at midrapidity is calculated from the non-prompt ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, ${\rm D_s^+}$, and $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+$ hadron measurements, obtaining ${\rm d}\sigma/{\rm d}y = 75.2\pm 3.2~(\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 5.2~(\mathrm{syst.})^{+12.3}_{-3.2} ~(\mathrm{extrap.})\text{ } \rm \mu b \;.

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

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

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

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