The Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) was designed and built to enhance the capabilities of the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). While aimed at providing electron identification and triggering, the TRD also contributes significantly to the track reconstruction and calibration in the central barrel of ALICE. In this paper the design, construction, operation, and performance of this detector are discussed. A pion rejection factor of up to 410 is achieved at a momentum of 1 GeV/$c$ in p-Pb collisions and the resolution at high transverse momentum improves by about 40% when including the TRD information in track reconstruction. The triggering capability is demonstrated both for jet, light nuclei, and electron selection.
Most probable charge deposit signal normalised to that of minimum ionising particles as a function of $\beta\gamma$ for $\pi$, $\it{e}$ test beam (dE/dx). Statistical uncertainties as vertical error bars.
Most probable charge deposit signal normalised to that of minimum ionising particles as a function of $\beta\gamma$ for $\pi$, $\it{e}$ test beam (dE/dx + TR). Statistical uncertainties as vertical error bars.
Most probable charge deposit signal normalised to that of minimum ionising particles as a function of $\beta\gamma$ for $\pi$, $\it{e}$ and proton in pp collisions ($\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV). Statistical uncertainties as vertical error bars. Uncertainties in momentum and thus $\beta \gamma$ determination are drawn as horizontal error bars.
Production of K^{+} mesons in charged-current \nu_{\mu} interactions on plastic scintillator (CH) is measured using MINERvA exposed to the low-energy NuMI beam at Fermilab. Timing information is used to isolate a sample of 885 charged-current events containing a stopping K^{+} which decays at rest. The differential cross section in K^{+} kinetic energy, d\sigma/dT_{K}, is observed to be relatively flat between 0 and 500 MeV. Its shape is in good agreement with the prediction by the \textsc{genie} neutrino event generator when final-state interactions are included, however the data rate is lower than the prediction by 15\%.
The predicted $\nu_\mu$ flux per POT for the data included in this analysis.
The differential cross section with respect to $K^+$ kinetic energy $T_{K}$ is given in units of $10^{-39}$ cm$^{2}$ per nucleon per GeV, as well as the total statistical and systematic uncertainties.
The covariance for the flux uncertainty.
The measurement of primary $\pi^{\pm}$, K$^{\pm}$, p and $\overline{p}$ production at mid-rapidity ($|y| <$ 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV performed with ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is reported. Particle identification is performed using the specific ionization energy loss and time-of-flight information, the ring-imaging Cherenkov technique and the kink-topology identification of weak decays of charged kaons. Transverse momentum spectra are measured from 0.1 up to 3 GeV/$c$ for pions, from 0.2 up to 6 GeV/$c$ for kaons and from 0.3 up to 6 GeV/$c$ for protons. The measured spectra and particle ratios are compared with QCD-inspired models, tuned to reproduce also the earlier measurements performed at the LHC. Furthermore, the integrated particle yields and ratios as well as the average transverse momenta are compared with results at lower collision energies.
Combined transverse momentum spectra of PI, K and P, sum of particles and antiparticles, measured at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at SQRT(S) = 7 TeV normalized to the number of inelastic collisions. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are reported. The uncertainty due to the normalization to inelastic collisions (+7-4 %) is not included.
Kaon/Pion ratio in pp collisions at SQRT(S) = 7 TeV.
Proton/Pion ratio in pp collisions at SQRT(S) = 7 TeV.