A measurement of the underlying activity in scattering processes with transverse momentum scale in the GeV region is performed in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 0.9 TeV, using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Charged hadron production is studied with reference to the direction of a leading object, either a charged particle or a set of charged particles forming a jet. Predictions of several QCD-inspired models as implemented in PYTHIA are compared, after full detector simulation, to the data. The models generally predict too little production of charged hadrons with pseudorapidity eta < 2, p_T > 0.5 GeV/c, and azimuthal direction transverse to that of the leading object.
Average multiplicity of charged particles per unit of pseudorapidity as a function of pseudorapidity for events with leading track-jet transverse momenta > 1 and > 3 GeV. Statistical errors only.
Average scalar sum of the transverse momenta of charged particles per unit of pseusdorapidity and per radian as a function of DELTA(PHI) for events with leading track-jet transverse momenta > 1 and > 2 GeV. Statistical errors only. Typical systematic error of 1.8 PCT at a leading track-jet PT of 3.5 GeV.
The average multiplicity and average scalar sum of transverse momenta of charge particles per unit of pseudorapidity and per radian as a function of the leading track transverse momenta. Statistical errors only. Typical systematic error of 1.8 PCT at a leading track-jet PT of 3.5 GeV.
Results on charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A and 30A GeV are presented and compared to data at lower and higher energies. A rapid change of the energy dependence is observed around 30A GeV for the yields of pions and kaons as well as for the shape of the transverse mass spectra. The change is compatible with the prediction that the threshold for production of a state of deconfined matter at the early stage of the collisions is located at low SPS energies.
Transverse mass spectra for pion production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 20 GeV per nucleon.
Transverse mass spectra for pion production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 30 GeV per nucleon.
Transverse mass spectra for kaon production in the central rapidity region for collisions at 20 GeV per nucleon.