A measurement of the inclusive b-jet production cross section is
presented in pp and p-Pb collisions at root S-NN = 5.02 TeV, using data
collected with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The jets were
reconstructed in the central rapidity region vertical bar eta vertical
bar < 0.5 from charged particles using the anti-kT algorithm with
resolution parameter R = 0.4. Identification of b jets exploits the long
lifetime of b hadrons, using the properties of secondary vertices and
impact parameter distributions. The p(T)-differential inclusive
production cross section of b jets, as well as the corresponding
inclusive b-jet fraction, are reported for pp and p-Pb collisions in the
jet transverse momentum range 10 <= p(T)(,)(ch)( jet) <= 100 GeV/c,
together with the nuclear modification factor, R-pPb(b-jet). The
analysis thus extends the lower p(T) limit of b-jet measurements at the
LHC. The nuclear modification factor is found to be consistent with
unity, indicating that the production of b jets in p-Pb at root S-NN =
5.02 TeV is not affected by cold nuclear matter effects within the
current precision. The measurements are well reproduced by POWHEG NLO
pQCD calculations with PYTHIA fragmentation