The first measurement of the $\Upsilon(1{\rm S})$ elliptic flow coefficient ($v_2$) is performed at forward rapidity (2.5 $<$ $y$ $<$ 4) in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The results are obtained with the scalar product method and are reported as a function of transverse momentum ($p_{\rm{T}}$) up to 15 GeV/$c$ in the 5-60% centrality interval. The measured $\Upsilon(1{\rm S})$ $v_2$ is consistent with zero and with the small positive values predicted by transport models within uncertainties. The $v_2$ coefficient in 2 $<$ $p_{\rm T}$ $<$ 15 GeV/$c$ is lower than that of inclusive J/$\psi$ mesons in the same $p_{\rm{T}}$ interval by 2.6 standard deviations. These results, combined with earlier suppression measurements, are in agreement with a scenario in which the $\Upsilon$(1S) production in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies is dominated by dissociation limited to the early stage of the collision whereas in the J/$\psi$ case there is substantial experimental evidence of an additional regeneration component.
One of the key challenges for nuclear physics today is to understand from first principles the effective interaction between hadrons with different quark content. First successes have been achieved using techniques that solve the dynamics of quarks and gluons on discrete space-time lattices. Experimentally, the dynamics of the strong interaction have been studied by scattering hadrons off each other. Such scattering experiments are difficult or impossible for unstable hadrons and so high-quality measurements exist only for hadrons containing up and down quarks. Here we demonstrate that measuring correlations in the momentum space between hadron pairs produced in ultrarelativistic proton-proton collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provides a precise method with which to obtain the missing information on the interaction dynamics between any pair of unstable hadrons. Specifically, we discuss the case of the interaction of baryons containing strange quarks (hyperons). We demonstrate how, using precision measurements of p-omega baryon correlations, the effect of the strong interaction for this hadron-hadron pair can be studied with precision similar to, and compared with, predictions from lattice calculations. The large number of hyperons identified in proton-proton collisions at the LHC, together with an accurate modelling of the small (approximately one femtometre) inter-particle distance and exact predictions for the correlation functions, enables a detailed determination of the short-range part of the nucleon-hyperon interaction.
The first results on K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ resonance production in inelastic pp collisions at LHC energies of $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$, 8, and 13 TeV are presented. The K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ has been reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$$\rightarrow$$\mathrm {K^0_S}$$~+~\pi^{\pm}$ with the ALICE detector. Measurements of transverse momentum distributions, $p_{\mathrm{T}}$-integrated yields, and mean transverse momenta for charged K$^{*}$(892) are found to be consistent with previous ALICE measurements for neutral K$^{*}$(892) within uncertainties. For $p_{\mathrm{T}} > 1$ GeV/$c$ the K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ transverse momentum spectra become harder with increasing centre-of-mass energy from 5.02 to 13 TeV, similar to what previously observed for charged kaons and pions. For $p_{\mathrm{T}} < 1$ GeV/$c$ the K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ yield does not evolve significantly and the abundance of K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ relative to K is rather independent of the collision energy. The transverse momentum spectra, measured for K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ at midrapidity in the interval $0 < p_{\mathrm{T}} < 15$ GeV/$c$, are not well described by predictions of different versions of PYTHIA 6, PYTHIA 8 and EPOS-LHC event generators. These generators reproduce the measured $p_{\mathrm{T}}$-integrated K$^{*\mathrm{\pm}}$/K ratios and describe well the momentum dependence for $p_{\mathrm{T}} < 2$ GeV/$c$.
The production yield of prompt D mesons and their elliptic flow coefficient $v_2$ were measured with the Event-Shape Engineering (ESE) technique applied to mid-central (10-30% and 30-50% centrality classes) Pb-Pb collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} =5.02$ TeV, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The ESE technique allows the classification of events, belonging to the same centrality, according to the azimuthal anisotropy of soft particle production in the collision. The reported measurements give the opportunity to investigate the dynamics of charm quarks in the Quark-Gluon Plasma and provide information on their participation in the collective expansion of the medium. D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays at mid-rapidity, $|\eta|<0.8$, in the transverse momentum interval $1<p_{\rm T}<24$ GeV/$c$. The $v_2$ coefficient is found to be sensitive to the event-shape selection confirming a correlation between the D-meson azimuthal anisotropy and the collective expansion of the bulk matter, while the per-event D-meson yields do not show any significant modification within the current uncertainties.
The pseudorapidity density of charged particles with minimum transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) thresholds of 0.15, 0.5, 1, and 2 GeV$/c$ is measured in pp collisions at the centre of mass energies of $\sqrt{s} =$ 5.02 and 13 TeV with the ALICE detector. The study is carried out for inelastic collisions with at least one primary charged particle having a pseudorapidity ($\eta$) within $\pm0.8$ and $p_{\rm T}$ larger than the corresponding threshold. In addition, measurements without $p_{\rm T}$-thresholds are performed for inelastic and non-single-diffractive events as well as for inelastic events with at least one charged particle having $|\eta|<1$ in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 5.02 TeV for the first time at the LHC. These measurements are compared to the PYTHIA 6, PYTHIA 8, and EPOS-LHC models. In general, the models describe the $\eta$ dependence of particle production well. However, discrepancies are observed for the highest transverse momentum threshold ($p_{\rm T}>2 {\rm\ GeV}/c$), highlighting the importance of such measurements for tuning event generators. The new measurements agree within uncertainties with results from the ATLAS and CMS experiments obtained at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV.
The invariant differential cross section of inclusive $\omega(782)$ meson production at midrapidity ($|y|<0.5$) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV was measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC over a transverse momentum range of 2 < $p_{\rm{T}}$ < 17 GeV/$c$. The $\omega$ meson was reconstructed via its $\omega\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$ decay channel. The measured $\omega$ production cross section is compared to various calculations: PYTHIA 8.2 Monash 2013 describes the data, while PYTHIA 8.2 Tune 4C overestimates the data by about 50%. A recent NLO calculation, which includes a model describing the fragmentation of the whole vector-meson nonet, describes the data within uncertainties below 6 GeV/$c$, while it overestimates the data by up to 50% for higher $p_{\rm{T}}$. The $\omega/\pi^0$ ratio is in agreement with previous measurements at lower collision energies and the PYTHIA calculations. In addition, the measurement is compatible with transverse mass scaling within the measured $p_{\rm{T}}$ range and the ratio is constant with $C^{\omega/\pi^{0}}$ = 0.67 $\pm$ 0.03 (stat) $\pm$ 0.04 (sys) above a transverse momentum of 2.5 GeV/$c$.
The Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) produced in ultra relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) can be studied by measuring the modifications of jets formed by hard scattered partons which interact with the medium. We studied these modifications via angular correlations of jets with charged hadrons for jets with momenta 20 < $p_{\rm{T}}^{\rm{jet}}$ < 40 GeV/$c$ as a function of the associated particle momentum. The reaction plane fit (RPF) method is used in this analysis to remove the flow modulated background. The analysis of angular correlations for different orientations of the jet relative to the second order event plane allows for the study of the path length dependence of medium modifications to jets. We present the dependence of azimuthal angular correlations of charged hadrons with respect to the angle of the axis of a reconstructed jet relative to the event plane in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 2.76 TeV. The dependence of particle yields associated with jets on the angle of the jet with respect to the event plane is presented. Correlations at different angles relative to the event plane are compared through ratios and differences of the yield. No dependence of the results on the angle of the jet with respect to the event plane is observed within uncertainties, which is consistent with no significant path length dependence of the medium modifications for this observable.
The elliptic and triangular flow coefficients $v_2$ and $v_3$ of prompt D$^{0}$, D$^{+}$, and D$^{*+}$ mesons were measured at midrapidity ($|y|<0.8$) in Pb-Pb collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays in the transverse momentum interval $1< p_{\rm T}<36$ GeV/$c$ in central (0-10%) and semi-central (30-50%) collisions. Compared to pions, protons, and J/$\psi$ mesons, the average D-meson $v_{n}$ harmonics are compatible within uncertainties with a mass hierarchy for $p_{\rm T} \lesssim 3$ GeV/$c$, and are similar to those of charged pions for higher $p_{\rm T}$. The coupling of the charm quark to the light quarks in the underlying medium is further investigated with the application of the event-shape engineering (ESE) technique to the D-meson $v_2$ and $p_{\rm T}$-differential yields. The D-meson $v_2$ is correlated with average bulk elliptic flow in both central and semi-central collisions. Within the current precision, the ratios of per-event D-meson yields in the ESE-selected and unbiased samples are found to be compatible with unity. All the measurements are found to be reasonably well described by theoretical calculations including the effects of charm-quark transport and the recombination of charm quarks with light quarks in a hydrodynamically expanding medium.
The inclusive J/$\psi$ meson production in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV at midrapidity ($|y|$ < 0.9) is reported by the ALICE Collaboration. The measurements are performed in the dielectron decay channel, as a function of event centrality and J/$\psi$ transverse momentum $p_{\rm T}$, down to $p_{\rm T}$ = 0 GeV/$c$. The J/$\psi$ mean transverse momentum $\langle p_{\rm T} \rangle$ and $r_{\rm AA}$ ratio, defined as $\langle p^{\rm 2}_{\rm T} \rangle_{\rm PbPb}/\langle p^{\rm 2}_{\rm T} \rangle_{\rm pp}$, are evaluated. Both observables show a centrality dependence decreasing towards central (head-on) collisions. The J/$\psi$ nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ exhibits a strong $p_{\rm T}$ dependence with a large suppression at high $p_{\rm T}$ and an increase to unity for decreasing $p_{\rm T}$. When integrating over the measured momentum range $p_{\rm T}$ < 10 GeV/$c$, the J/$\psi$ $R_{\rm AA}$ shows a weak centrality dependence. Each measurement is compared with results at lower center-of-mass energies and with ALICE measurements at forward rapidity, as well as to theory calculations. All reported features of the J/$\psi$ production at low $p_{\rm T}$ are consistent with a dominant contribution to the J/$\psi$ yield originating from charm quark (re)combination.
The second ($v_2$) and third ($v_3$) flow harmonic coefficients of J/$\psi$ mesons are measured at forward rapidity (2.5 $<$ $y$ $<$ 4.0) in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. Results are obtained with the scalar product method and reported as a function of transverse momentum, $p_{\rm{T}}$, for various collision centralities. A positive value of J/$\psi$ $v_3$ is observed with 3.7$\sigma$ significance. The measurements, compared to those of prompt D$^0$ mesons and charged particles at mid-rapidity, indicate an ordering with $v_{\rm n}$(J/$\psi$) $<v_{\rm n}$(D$^0$) $<v_{\rm n}$(h$^\pm$) (n = 2, 3) at low and intermediate $p_{\rm{T}}$ up to 6 GeV/$c$ and a convergence with $v_2$(J/$\psi$) $\approx v_2$(D$^0$) $\approx v_2$(h$^\pm$) at high $p_{\rm{T}}$ above 6-8 GeV/$c$. In semi-central collisions (5-40% and 10-50% centrality intervals) at intermediate $p_{\rm{T}}$ between 2 and 6 GeV/$c$, the ratio $v_3/v_2$ of J/$\psi$ mesons is found to be significantly lower (4.6$\sigma$) with respect to that of charged particles. In addition, the comparison to the prompt D$^0$-meson ratio in the same $p_{\rm{T}}$ interval suggests an ordering similar to that of the $v_2$ and $v_3$ coefficients. The J/$\psi$ $v_2$ coefficient is further studied using the Event Shape Engineering technique. The obtained results are found to be compatible with the expected variations of the eccentricity of the initial-state geometry.
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