Measurement of the inclusive J/ $\psi$ polarization at forward rapidity in pp collisions at $\mathbf {\sqrt{s} = 8}$  TeV

Abstract

We report on the measurement of the inclusive J/ $\psi$ polarization parameters in pp collisions at a center of mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 8$  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.23 pb$^{-1}$ . J/ $\psi$ resonances are reconstructed in their di-muon decay channel in the rapidity interval $2.5< y < 4.0$ and over the transverse-momentum interval $2< p_\mathrm{T} < 15$   $\mathrm {GeV}/c$ . The three polarization parameters ( $\lambda _\theta$ , $\lambda _\varphi$ , $\lambda _{\theta \varphi }$ ) are measured as a function of $p_\mathrm{T}$ both in the helicity and Collins-Soper reference frames. The measured J/ $\psi$ polarization parameters are found to be compatible with zero within uncertainties, contrary to expectations from all available predictions. The results are compared with the measurement in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$  TeV