In high-energy collisions, the spatio-temporal size of the particle production region can be measured using the Bose-Einstein correlations of identical bosons at low relative momentum. The source radii are typically extracted using two-pion correlations, and characterize the system at the last stage of interaction, called kinetic freeze-out. In low-multiplicity collisions, unlike in high-multiplicity collisions, two-pion correlations are substantially altered by background correlations, e.g. mini-jets. Such correlations can be suppressed using three-pion cumulant correlations. We present the first measurements of the size of the system at freeze-out extracted from three-pion cumulant correlations in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC with ALICE. At similar multiplicity, the invariant radii extracted in p-Pb collisions are found to be 5-15% larger than those in pp, while those in Pb-Pb are 35-55% larger than those in p-Pb. Our measurements disfavor models which incorporate substantially stronger collective expansion in p-Pb as compared to pp collisions at similar multiplicity.
Mixed charge C3 and c3 in pp collisions projected against 1 of a mixed-charge pair invariant relative momentum.
Same charge C3 and c3 in pp collisions projected against Q3.
Same charge C3 and c3 in p Pb collisions projected against Q3.
The yields of the K*(892)$^{0}$ and $\Phi$(1020) resonances are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV through their hadronic decays using the ALICE detector. The measurements are performed in multiple centrality intervals at mid-rapidity (|$y$|<0.5) in the transverse-momentum ranges 0.3 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 5 GeV/$c$ for the K*(892)$^{0}$ and 0.5 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 5 GeV/$c$ for the $\Phi$(1020). The yields of K*(892)$^{0}$ are suppressed in central Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp and peripheral Pb-Pb collisions (perhaps due to rescattering of its decay products in the hadronic medium), while the longer lived $\Phi$(1020) meson is not suppressed. These particles are also used as probes to study the mechanisms of particle production. The shape of the $p_{\rm T}$ distribution of the $\Phi$(1020) meson, but not its yield, is reproduced fairly well by hydrodynamic models for central Pb-Pb collisions. In central Pb-Pb collisions at low and intermediate $p_{\rm T}$, the p/$\Phi$(1020) ratio is flat in $p_{\rm T}$, while the p/$\pi$ and $\Phi$(1020)/$\pi$ ratios show a pronounced increase and have similar shapes to each other. These results indicate that the shapes of the $p_{\rm T}$ distributions of these particles in central Pb-Pb collisions are determined predominantly by the particle masses and radial flow. Finally, $\Phi$(1020) production in Pb-Pb collisions is enhanced, with respect to the yield in pp collisions and the yield of charged pions, by an amount similar to the $\Lambda$ and $\Xi$.
Transverse-momentum distributions of (K*(892)0 + anti-K*(892)0)/2 in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(sNN)=2.76 TeV, centrality 0.0-20.0%.
Transverse-momentum distributions of (K*(892)0 + anti-K*(892)0)/2 in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(sNN)=2.76 TeV, centrality 20.0-40.0%.
Transverse-momentum distributions of (K*(892)0 + anti-K*(892)0)/2 in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(sNN)=2.76 TeV, centrality 40.0-60.0%.
Transverse momentum spectra of $\pi^{\pm}$, $\rm K^{\pm}$ and p($\bar{\rm p}$) up to $p_{\rm T}$ = 20 GeV/$c$ at mid-rapidity in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=$ 2.76 TeV have been measured using the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The proton-to-pion and the kaon-to-pion ratios both show a distinct peak at $p_{\rm T} \approx 3 GeV/c$ in central Pb-Pb collisions. Below the peak, $p_{\rm T}$ < 3 GeV/$c$, both ratios are in good agreement with hydrodynamical calculations, suggesting that the peak itself is dominantly the result of radial flow rather than anomalous hadronization processes. For $p_{\rm T}$ > 10 GeV/$c$ particle ratios in pp and Pb-Pb collisions are in agreement and the nuclear modification factors for $\pi^{\pm}$, $\rm K^{\pm}$ and $\rm p$($\bar{\rm p}$) indicate that, within the systematic and statistical uncertainties, the suppression is the same. This suggests that the chemical composition of leading particles from jets in the medium is similar to that of vacuum jets.
Invariant yields of identified pions in central and peripheral Pb-Pb collisions, together with the unscaled pp reference yields.
Invariant yields of identified kaons in central and peripheral Pb-Pb collisions, together with the unscaled pp reference yields.
Invariant yields of identified protons in central and peripheral Pb-Pb collisions, together with the unscaled pp reference yields.
Correlations induced by quantum statistics are sensitive to the spatio-temporal extent as well as dynamics of particle emitting sources in heavy-ion collisions. In addition, such correlations can be used to search for the presence of a coherent component of pion production. Two and three-pion correlations of same and mixed-charge are measured at low relative momentum to estimate the coherent fraction of charged pions in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76$ TeV at the LHC with ALICE. The genuine three-pion quantum statistics correlation is found to be suppressed relative to the two-pion correlation based on the assumption of fully chaotic pion emission. The suppression is observed to decrease with triplet momentum. The observed suppression at low triplet momentum may correspond to a coherent fraction in charged pion emission of 23% $\pm$ 8%.
C2 versus qinv for same-charge pions in six kT intervals. 0-5% centrality.
C2 versus qinv for mixed-charge pions in six kT intervals. 0-5% centrality.
C2 versus qinv for same-charge pions in six kT intervals. 45-50% centrality.
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