In this letter, the production of deuterons and anti-deuterons in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV is studied as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity density at mid-rapidity with the ALICE detector at the LHC. Production yields are measured at mid-rapidity in five multiplicity classes and as a function of the deuteron transverse momentum ($p_{\rm{T}}$). The measurements are discussed in the context of hadron-coalescence models. The coalescence parameter $B_{2}$, extracted from the measured spectra of (anti-)deuterons and primary (anti-)protons, exhibits no significant $p_{\rm{T}}$-dependence for $p_{\rm{T}} < 3$ GeV/$c$, in agreement with the expectations of a simple coalescence picture. At fixed transverse momentum per nucleon, the $B_{2}$ parameter is found to decrease smoothly from low multiplicity pp Pb-Pb collisions, in qualitative agreement with more elaborate coalescence models. The measured mean transverse momentum of (anti-)deuterons in pp is not reproduced by the Blast-Wave model calculations that simultaneously describe pion, kaon and proton spectra, in contrast to central Pb-Pb collisions. The ratio between the $p_{\rm{T}}$-integrated yield of deuterons to protons, d/p, is found to increase with the charged-particle multiplicity, as observed in inelastic pp collisions at different centre-of-mass energies. The d/p ratios are reported in a wide range, from the lowest to the highest multiplicity values measured in pp collisions at the LHC.
Transverse-momentum spectra of deuterons and anti-deuterons measured at mid-rapidity in V0M multiplicity class I+II
Transverse-momentum spectra of deuterons and anti-deuterons measured at mid-rapidity in V0M multiplicity class III
Transverse-momentum spectra of deuterons and anti-deuterons measured at mid-rapidity in V0M multiplicity class IV+V
The measurement of the deuteron and anti-deuteron production in the rapidity range $-1 < y < 0$ as a function of transverse momentum and event multiplicity in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV is presented. (Anti-)deuterons are identified via their specific energy loss $\rm{d}E/\rm{d}x$ and via their time-of-flight. Their production in p-Pb collisions is compared to pp and Pb-Pb collisions and is discussed within the context of thermal and coalescence models. The ratio of integrated yields of deuterons to protons (d/p) shows a significant increase as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity of the event starting from values similar to those observed in pp collisions at low multiplicities and approaching those observed in Pb-Pb collisions at high multiplicities. The mean transverse momenta are extracted from the deuteron spectra and the values are similar to those obtained for p and $\Lambda$ particles. Thus, deuteron spectra do not follow mass ordering. This behaviour is in contrast to the trend observed for non-composite particles in p-Pb collisions. In addition, the production of the rare $^{3}{\rm{He}}$ and $^{3}\bar{\rm He}$ nuclei has been studied. The spectrum corresponding to all non-single diffractive p-Pb collisions is obtained in the rapidity window $-1 < y < 0$ and the $p_{\rm{T}}$-integrated yield d$N$/d$y$ is extracted. It is found that the yields of protons, deuterons, and $^{3}{\rm{He}}$, normalised by the spin degeneracy factor, follow an exponential decrease with mass number.
Transverse momentum distributions of deuterons in the 0-10% V0A multiplicity class
Transverse momentum distributions of deuterons in the 10-20% V0A multiplicity class
Transverse momentum distributions of deuterons in the 20-40% V0A multiplicity class
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