TPC tracking and particle identification in high-density environment

Track finding and fitting algorithm in the ALICE Time projection chamber (TPC) based on Kalman-filtering is presented. Implementation of particle identification (PID) using d$E$/d$x$ measurement is discussed. Filtering and PID algorithm is able to cope with non-Gaussian noise as well as with ambiguous measurements in a high-density environment. The occupancy can reach up to 40% and due to the overlaps, often the points along the track are lost and others are significantly displaced. In the present algorithm, first, clusters are found and the space points are reconstructed. The shape of a cluster provides information about overlap factor. Fast spline unfolding algorithm is applied for points with distorted shapes. Then, the expected space point error is estimated using information about the cluster shape and track parameters. Furthermore, available information about local track overlap is used. Tests are performed on simulation data sets to validate the analysis and to gain practical experience with the algorithm.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Quark model description of the tetraquark state X(3872) in a relativistic constituent quark model with infrared confinement

We explore the consequences of treating the X(3872) meson as a tetraquark bound state. As dynamical framework we employ a relativistic constituent quark model which includes infrared confinement in an effective way. We calculate the decay widths of the observed channels X-> Jpsi+2\pi (3\pi) and X-> \bar D0+D0+\pi0 via the intermediate off--shell states X-> Jpsi+\rho(\omega) and X-> \bar D + D*. For reasonable values of the size parameter of the X(3872) we find consistency with the available experimental data. We also discuss the possible impact of the X(3872) in a s-channel dominance description of the Jpsi-dissociation cross section.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures; discussion and references added, accepted in Phys. Rev.