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.
Pearson correlation coefficient between the net-$\Xi$ number and net-K number, $\rho_{\Delta\Xi\Delta\mathrm{K}}$, in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ TeV
Pearson correlation coefficient between the net-$\Xi$ number and net-K number, $\rho_{\Delta\Xi\Delta\mathrm{K}}$, in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV
Pearson correlation coefficient between the net-$\Xi$ number and net-K number, $\rho_{\Delta\Xi\Delta\mathrm{K}}$, in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV
This Letter presents the most precise measurement to date of the matter-antimatter imbalance at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV. Using the Statistical Hadronization framework, it is possible to obtain the value of the electric charge and baryon chemical potentials, $\mu_Q=-0.18\pm0.90$ MeV and $\mu_B=0.71\pm0.45$ MeV, with unprecedented precision. A centrality-differential study of the antiparticle-to-particle yield ratios of charged pions, protons, $\Omega$-baryons, and light (hyper)nuclei is performed. These results indicate that the system created in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC is on average baryon-free and electrically neutral at midrapidity.
Antiparticle-to-particle yield ratio, 0-5% centrality
Antiparticle-to-particle yield ratio, 5-10% centrality
Antiparticle-to-particle yield ratio, 10-30% centrality