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

Charm fragmentation fractions and cc cross section in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

The total charm-quark production cross section per unit of rapidity dσ(cc)/dy, and the fragmentation fractions of charm quarks to different charm-hadron species f(c → hc), are measured for the first time in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV at midrapidity (−0.96 < y < 0.04 in the centre-ofmass frame) using data collected by ALICE at the CERN LHC. The results are obtained based on all the available measurements of prompt production of ground-state charm-hadron species: D0, D+,D+s, and J/ψ mesons, and Λ+cand Ξ0cbaryons. The resulting cross section is dσ(cc)/dy = 219.6±6.3 (stat.)+10.5−11.8(syst.)+7.6−2.9(extr.)±5.4 (BR)±4.6 (lumi.)±19.5 (rapidity shape) +15.0 (Ω0c) mb, which is consistent with a binary scaling of pQCD calculations from pp ollisions. The measured fragmentation fractions are compatible with those measured in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 and 13 TeV, showing an increase in the relative production rates of charm baryons with respect to charm mesons in pp and p–Pb collisions compared with e+e − and e−p collisions. The pT-integrated nuclear modification factor of charm quarks, RpPb(cc) = 0.91±0.04 (stat.) +0.08 −0.09 (syst.) +0.04 −0.03 (extr.)±0.03 (lumi.), is found to be consistent with unity and with theoretical predictions including nuclear modifications of the parton distribution functions

Probing strangeness hadronization with event-by-event production of multistrange hadrons

This Letter presents the first measurement of event-by-event fluctuations of the net number (difference between the particle and antiparticle multiplicities) of multistrange hadrons $\Xi^-$ and $\overline{\Xi}^+$ and its correlation with the net-kaon number using the data collected by the ALICE Collaboration in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02\ \mathrm{TeV}$. The statistical hadronization model with a correlation over three units of rapidity between hadrons having the same and opposite strangeness content successfully describes the results. On the other hand, string-fragmentation models that mainly correlate strange hadrons with opposite strange quark content over a small rapidity range fail to describe the data.This Letter presents the first measurement of event-by-event fluctuations of the net number (difference between the particle and antiparticle multiplicities) of multistrange hadrons $\Xi^-$ and $\overline{\Xi}^+$ and its correlation with the net-kaon number using the data collected by the ALICE Collaboration in pp, p$-$Pb, and Pb$-$Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02\ \mathrm{TeV}$. The statistical hadronization model with a correlation over three units of rapidity between hadrons having the same and opposite strangeness content successfully describes the results. On the other hand, string-fragmentation models that mainly correlate strange hadrons with opposite strange quark content over a small rapidity range fail to describe the data

Investigating Λ baryon production in p–Pb collisions in jets and underlying event using angular correlations

First measurements of hadron(h)−Λ azimuthal angular correlations in p−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. These correlations are used to separate the production of associated Λ 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 Λ 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 pT and event multiplicity. Comparisons with the DPMJET event generator and previous measurements of the ϕ(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 Λ 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

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

Measurement of 3ΛH production in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

he first measurement of 3ΛH and 3Λ¯¯¯¯H¯¯¯¯ differential production with respect to transverse momentum and centrality in Pb−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02~TeV is presented. The 3ΛH has been reconstructed via its two-charged-body decay channel, i.e., 3ΛH→3He+π−. A Blast-Wave model fit of the pT-differential spectra of all nuclear species measured by the ALICE collaboration suggests that the 3ΛH kinetic freeze-out surface is consistent with that of other nuclei. The ratio between the integrated yields of 3ΛH and 3He is compared to predictions from the statistical hadronisation model and the coalescence model, with the latter being favoured by the presented measurements

Measurement of the production and elliptic flow of (anti)nuclei in Xe–Xe collisions at √sNN = 5.44 TeV

Measurements of (anti)deuteron and (anti)3He 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 sNN−−−√ = 5.44 TeV are presented. The coalescence parameters B2 and B3 are measured as a function of the transverse momentum per nucleon. The ratios between (anti)deuteron and (anti)3He 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 Tchem = (154.2 ± 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

Charm fragmentation fractions and cc‾{\rm c\overline{c}} cross section in p−-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02 TeV

The total charm-quark production cross section per unit of rapidity $\mathrm{d}\sigma({\rm c\overline{c}})/\mathrm{d}y$, and the fragmentation fractions of charm quarks to different charm-hadron species $f(\mathrm{c}\rightarrow {\rm h_{c}})$, are measured for the first time in p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV at midrapidity ($-0.96<y<0.04$ in the centre-of-mass frame) using data collected by ALICE at the CERN LHC. The results are obtained based on all the available measurements of prompt production of ground-state charm-hadron species: $\mathrm{D}^{0}$, $\mathrm{D}^{+}$, $\mathrm{D}_\mathrm{s}^{+}$, and $\mathrm{J/\psi}$ mesons, and $\Lambda_\mathrm{c}^{+}$ and $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ baryons. The resulting cross section is $\mathrm{d}\sigma({\rm c\overline{c}})/\mathrm{d}y =219.6 \pm 6.3\;(\mathrm{stat.}) {\;}_{-11.8}^{+10.5}\;(\mathrm{syst.}) {\;}_{-2.9}^{+7.6}\;(\mathrm{extr.})\pm 5.4\;(\mathrm{BR})\pm 4.6\;(\mathrm{lumi.}) \pm 19.5\;(\text{rapidity shape})+15.0\;(\Omega_{\rm c}^{0})$ mb, which is consistent with a binary scaling of pQCD calculations from pp collisions. The measured fragmentation fractions are compatible with those measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ and $13$ TeV, showing an increase in the relative production rates of charm baryons with respect to charm mesons in pp and p–Pb collisions compared with $\mathrm{e^{+}e^{-}}$ and $\mathrm{e^{-}p}$ collisions. The $p_\mathrm{T}$-integrated nuclear modification factor of charm quarks, $R_\mathrm{pPb}({\rm c\overline{c}})= 0.91 \pm 0.04\;{\rm (stat.)}{}^{+0.08}_{-0.09}\;{\rm (syst.)}{}^{+0.04}_{-0.03}\;{\rm (extr.)}{}\pm 0.03\;{\rm (lumi.)}$, is found to be consistent with unity and with theoretical predictions including nuclear modifications of the parton distribution functions.The total charm-quark production cross section per unit of rapidity $\mathrm{d}\sigma({\rm c\overline{c}})/\mathrm{d}y$, and the fragmentation fractions of charm quarks to different charm-hadron species $f(\mathrm{c}\rightarrow {\rm h_{c}})$, are measured for the first time in p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV at midrapidity ($-0.96<y<0.04$ in the centre-of-mass frame) using data collected by ALICE at the CERN LHC. The results are obtained based on all the available measurements of prompt production of ground-state charm-hadron species: $\mathrm{D}^{0}$, $\mathrm{D}^{+}$, $\mathrm{D}_\mathrm{s}^{+}$, and $\mathrm{J/\psi}$ mesons, and $\Lambda_\mathrm{c}^{+}$ and $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ baryons. The resulting cross section is $\mathrm{d}\sigma({\rm c\overline{c}})/\mathrm{d}y =219.6 \pm 6.3\;(\mathrm{stat.}) {\;}_{-11.8}^{+10.5}\;(\mathrm{syst.}) {\;}_{-2.9}^{+7.6}\;(\mathrm{extr.})\pm 5.4\;(\mathrm{BR})\pm 4.6\;(\mathrm{lumi.}) \pm 19.5\;(\text{rapidity shape})+15.0\;(\Omega_{\rm c}^{0})$ mb, which is consistent with a binary scaling of pQCD calculations from pp collisions. The measured fragmentation fractions are compatible with those measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ and $13$ TeV, showing an increase in the relative production rates of charm baryons with respect to charm mesons in pp and p$-$Pb collisions compared with $\mathrm{e^{+}e^{-}}$ and $\mathrm{e^{-}p}$ collisions. The $p_\mathrm{T}$-integrated nuclear modification factor of charm quarks, $R_\mathrm{pPb}({\rm c\overline{c}})= 0.91 \pm 0.04\;{\rm (stat.)}{}^{+0.08}_{-0.09}\;{\rm (syst.)}{}^{+0.04}_{-0.03}\;{\rm (extr.)}{}\pm 0.03\;{\rm (lumi.)}$, is found to be consistent with unity and with theoretical predictions including nuclear modifications of the parton distribution functions

Measurement of the production cross section of prompt Ξc0\Xi^0_{\rm c} baryons in p−-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02 TeV

The transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) differential production cross section of the promptly-produced charm-strange baryon $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ (and its charge conjugate $\overline{\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}}$) is measured at midrapidity via its hadronic decay into ${\rm \pi^{+}}\Xi^{-}$ in p$-$Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon$-$nucleon collision $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}~=~5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ nuclear modification factor ($R_{\rm pPb}$), calculated from the cross sections in pp and p$-$Pb collisions, is presented and compared with the $R_{\rm pPb}$ of $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ baryons. The ratios between the $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross section of $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ baryons and those of $\mathrm {D^0}$ mesons and $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ 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 $\Xi^0_{\rm c}$ 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 $p_{\rm T}$-integrated cross section of prompt $\Xi^0_{\rm c}$-baryon production at midrapidity extrapolated down to $p_{\rm T}$ = 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.The transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) differential production cross section of the promptly-produced charm-strange baryon $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ (and its charge conjugate $\overline{\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}}$) is measured at midrapidity via its hadronic decay into ${\rm \pi^{+}}\Xi^{-}$ in p$-$Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon$-$nucleon collision $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}~=~5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ nuclear modification factor ($R_{\rm pPb}$), calculated from the cross sections in pp and p$-$Pb collisions, is presented and compared with the $R_{\rm pPb}$ of $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ baryons. The ratios between the $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross section of $\Xi_{\rm c}^{0}$ baryons and those of $\mathrm {D^0}$ mesons and $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ 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 $\Xi^0_{\rm c}$ 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 $p_{\rm T}$-integrated cross section of prompt $\Xi^0_{\rm c}$-baryon production at midrapidity extrapolated down to $p_{\rm T}$ = 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