Date

Study of $\langle p_{\rm T} \rangle$ and its higher moments, and extraction of the speed of sound in Pb-Pb collisions with ALICE

The ALICE collaboration Abualrob, Ibrahim Jaser ; Acharya, Shreyasi ; Aglieri Rinella, Gianluca ; et al.
CERN-EP-2025-126, 2025.
Inspire Record 2933773 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.165515

Ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions create a quark-gluon plasma (QGP), a hot and dense state of strongly interacting QCD matter. In ultracentral collisions, the QGP volume remains nearly constant event-by-event, while its total entropy can fluctuate due to quantum effects, leading to temperature variations. These features allow the correlation between the mean transverse momentum $(\langle p_{\mathrm{T}} \rangle)$ of charged hadrons and their multiplicity to serve as a probe of the QGP's speed of sound, $c_{s}$. This study extracts $c_{s}$ by analyzing the relative increase in $\langle p_{\mathrm{T}} \rangle$ with respect to the charged-particle density $(\langle \mathrm{d}N_\mathrm{ch}/\mathrm{d}\eta \rangle)$ at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02~\mathrm{TeV}$, using data from the ALICE detector. Centrality is determined with estimators based on multiplicity and transverse energy, applying a pseudorapidity gap to reduce selection biases. The extracted value of $c_{s}^{2}$ is found to strongly depend on the employed centrality estimator and ranges between $0.1146 \pm 0.0028 \,\mathrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.0065 \,\mathrm{(syst.)}$ and $0.4374 \pm 0.0006 \mathrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.0184 \mathrm{(syst.)}$ in natural units. Additionally, the event-by-event $[p_{\mathrm{T}}]$ distribution is studied through its variance, skewness, and kurtosis. A pronounced decrease in the self-normalized variance and a peak followed by a drop in skewness suggest the suppression of impact-parameter fluctuations in ultracentral collisions. These observations provide new insights into the thermodynamic properties and initial-state fluctuations of the QGP.

35 data tables

Average number of participating nucleons ($\langle N_{\mathrm{part}} \rangle$) as a function of centrality percentile in $\mathrm{Pb}-\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02~\mathrm{TeV}$. Data points are shown for centrality estimators based on $N_{\mathrm{ch}}$, ${N_{\mathrm{tracklets}}}$, and $E_{\mathrm{T}}$ within $|\eta|\leq 0.8$.

Average number of participating nucleons ($\langle N_{\mathrm{part}} \rangle$) as a function of centrality percentile in $\mathrm{Pb}-\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02~\mathrm{TeV}$. Data points are shown for centrality estimator based on $N_{\mathrm{ch}} \in$ $-3.7<\eta<-1.7$ and $2.8 < \eta <5.1$.

Normalized $p_{\mathrm{T}}$-spectrum ratio as a function as a function of centrality in $\mathrm{Pb}-\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02~\mathrm{TeV}$. Data points are shown for centrality estimator based on $N_{\mathrm{ch}} \in$ $0.5 \leq |\eta|\leq 0.8$.

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Measurement of inclusive jet cross section and substructure in $p$+$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV

The PHENIX collaboration Abdulameer, N.J. ; Acharya, U. ; Aidala, C. ; et al.
Phys.Rev.D 111 (2025) 112008, 2025.
Inspire Record 2820229 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.158374

The jet cross-section and jet-substructure observables in $p$$+$$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV were measured by the PHENIX Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Jets are reconstructed from charged-particle tracks and electromagnetic-calorimeter clusters using the anti-$k_{t}$ algorithm with a jet radius $R=0.3$ for jets with transverse momentum within $8.0<p_T<40.0$ GeV/$c$ and pseudorapidity $|η|<0.15$. Measurements include the jet cross section, as well as distributions of SoftDrop-groomed momentum fraction ($z_g$), charged-particle transverse momentum with respect to jet axis ($j_T$), and radial distributions of charged particles within jets ($r$). Also meaureed was the distribution of $ξ=-ln(z)$, where $z$ is the fraction of the jet momentum carried by the charged particle. The measurements are compared to theoretical next-to and next-to-next-to-leading-order calculatios, PYTHIA event generator, and to other existing experimental results. Indicated from these meaurements is a lower particle multiplicity in jets at RHIC energies when compared to models. Also noted are implications for future jet measurements with sPHENIX at RHIC as well as at the future Electron-Ion Collider.

8 data tables

The jet differential cross section as a function of jet $p_T$. Statistical uncertainties are typically smaller than the data points while systematic uncertainties are shown with boxes. An overall normalization systematic of 7% is not included in the point-by-point systematic uncertainties.

Distribution of the SoftDrop groomed momentum fraction $z_g$ for different jet $p_T$ bins. Standard SoftDrop parameters were used ($z_{cut}<0.1$ and $\beta=0$).

$\xi$ distributions for different jet $p_T$ bins.

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Low-mass vector-meson production at forward rapidity in $p$$+$$p$ and Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$~GeV

The PHENIX collaboration Abdulameer, N.J. ; Acharya, U. ; Adare, A. ; et al.
2025.
Inspire Record 2942761 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.165500

The PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider has measured low-mass vector-meson ($ω+ρ$ and $ϕ$) production through the dimuon decay channel at forward rapidity $(1.2<|\mbox{y}|<2.2)$ in $p$$+$$p$ and Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$~GeV. The low-mass vector-meson yield and nuclear-modification factor were measured as a function of the average number of participating nucleons, $\langle N_{\rm part}\rangle$, and the transverse momentum $p_T$. These results were compared with those obtained via the kaon decay channel in a similar $p_T$ range at midrapidity. The nuclear-modification factors in both rapidity regions are consistent within the uncertainties. A comparison of the $ω+ρ$ and $J/ψ$ mesons reveals that the light and heavy flavors are consistently suppressed across both $p_T$ and ${\langle}N_{\rm part}\rangle$. In contrast, the $ϕ$ meson displays a nuclear-modification factor consistent with unity, suggesting strangeness enhancement in the medium formed.

6 data tables

The differential cross sections of $\omega+\rho$ mesons as a function of $p_T$ in $p+p$ collisions. The systematic uncertainties of type-A (uncorrelated) are combined with statistical uncertainties in quadrature and are labeled as stat. Type-B (correlated) systematic uncertainties are listed as sys.

The differential cross sections of $\phi$ meson as a function of $p_T$ in $p+p$ collisions. The systematic uncertainties of type-A (uncorrelated) are combined with statistical uncertainties in quadrature and are labeled as stat. Type-B (correlated) systematic uncertainties are listed as sys.

The invariant yields of $\phi$ and $\omega+\rho$ mesons as a function of $p_T$ in Au+Au collisions. The systematic uncertainties of type-A (uncorrelated) are combined with statistical uncertainties in quadrature and are labeled as stat. Type-B (correlated) systematic uncertainties are listed as sys.

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Search for a Higgs boson produced in association with a charm quark and decaying to a W boson pair in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

The CMS collaboration Hayrapetyan, Aram ; Makarenko, Vladimir ; Tumasyan, Armen ; et al.
CMS-HIG-24-009, 2025.
Inspire Record 2963183 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.161462

This paper presents a search for a Higgs boson produced in association with a charm quark (cH) which allows to probe the Higgs-charm Yukawa coupling strength modifier $κ_\mathrm{c}$. Higgs boson decays to a pair of W bosons are considered, where one W boson decays to an electron and a neutrino, and the other \PW boson decays to a muon and a neutrino. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$, were collected between 2016 and 2018 with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level (CL) are set on the ratio of the measured yield to the standard model expectation for cH production. The observed (expected) upper limit is 1065 (506). When combined with the previous search for cH in the diphoton decay channel of the Higgs boson, the limits are interpreted as observed (expected) constraints at 95% CL on the value of $κ_\mathrm{c}$, $\lvertκ_\mathrm{c}\rvert$ $\lt$ 47 (51).

3 data tables

Upper limits of $\mu_{cH}$ at 95%CL for each data-taking period.

Two-dimensional likelihood contour of $\mu_{bkg-H+c}$ and $\mu_{cH}$.

Upper limits of $\mu_{cH}$ at 95% CL of the combined analysis