The NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron studies the onset of deconfinement in strongly interacting matter through a beam energy scan of particle production in collisions of nuclei of varied sizes. This paper presents results on inclusive double-differential spectra, transverse momentum and rapidity distributions and mean multiplicities of $\pi^\pm$, $K^\pm$, $p$ and $\bar{p}$ produced in $^{40}$Ar+$^{45}$Sc collisions at beam momenta of 13$A$, 19$A$, 30$A$, 40$A$, 75$A$ and 150$A$~\GeVc. The analysis uses the 10% most central collisions, where the observed forward energy defines centrality. The energy dependence of the $K^\pm$/$\pi^\pm$ ratios as well as of inverse slope parameters of the $K^\pm$ transverse mass distributions are placed in between those found in inelastic $p$+$p$ and central Pb+Pb collisions. The results obtained here establish a system-size dependence of hadron production properties that so far cannot be explained either within statistical or dynamical models.
Two-dimensional distributions ($y$ vs. $p_T$ ) of double differential yields of $p$ at 13$A$ GeV/c
Two-dimensional distributions ($y$ vs. $p_T$ ) of double differential yields of $\pi^+$ at 13$A$ GeV/c
Two-dimensional distributions ($y$ vs. $p_T$ ) of double differential yields of $\pi^-$ at 13$A$ GeV/c
The chiral magnetic effect (CME) is a phenomenon that arises from the QCD anomaly in the presence of an external magnetic field. The experimental search for its evidence has been one of the key goals of the physics program of the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. The STAR collaboration has previously presented the results of a blind analysis of isobar collisions (${^{96}_{44}\text{Ru}}+{^{96}_{44}\text{Ru}}$, ${^{96}_{40}\text{Zr}}+{^{96}_{40}\text{Zr}}$) in the search for the CME. The isobar ratio ($Y$) of CME-sensitive observable, charge separation scaled by elliptic anisotropy, is close to but systematically larger than the inverse multiplicity ratio, the naive background baseline. This indicates the potential existence of a CME signal and the presence of remaining nonflow background due to two- and three-particle correlations, which are different between the isobars. In this post-blind analysis, we estimate the contributions from those nonflow correlations as a background baseline to $Y$, utilizing the isobar data as well as Heavy Ion Jet Interaction Generator simulations. This baseline is found consistent with the isobar ratio measurement, and an upper limit of 10% at 95% confidence level is extracted for the CME fraction in the charge separation measurement in isobar collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=200$ GeV.
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Long- and short-range correlations for pairs of charged particles are studied via two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV. The correlation functions are measured as a function of relative azimuthal angle $\Delta\varphi$ and pseudorapidity separation $\Delta\eta$ for pairs of primary charged particles within the pseudorapidity interval $|\eta| < 0.9$ and the transverse-momentum interval $1 < p_{\rm T} < 4$ GeV/$c$. Flow coefficients are extracted for the long-range correlations ($1.6 < |\Delta\eta| <1.8$) in various high-multiplicity event classes using the low-multiplicity template fit method. The method is used to subtract the enhanced yield of away-side jet fragments in high-multiplicity events. These results show decreasing flow signals toward lower multiplicity events. Furthermore, the flow coefficients for events with hard probes, such as jets or leading particles, do not exhibit any significant changes compared to those obtained from high-multiplicity events without any specific event selection criteria. The results are compared with hydrodynamic-model calculations, and it is found that a better understanding of the initial conditions is necessary to describe the results, particularly for low-multiplicity events.
High and low multiplicity long-range delta phi correlations
Jet fragmentation yields of near and away side as a function of multiplicity class and and the ratio of them, please see the definition of x-axis
The second and third harmonic coefficients as a function of transverse momentum in pp and p--Pb collisions.
The STAR Collaboration presents measurements of the semi-inclusive distribution of charged-particle jets recoiling from energetic direct-photon ($\gamma_{\rm dir}$) and neutral-pion ($\pi^{0}$) triggers in p+p and central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ GeV over a broad kinematic range, for jet resolution parameters $R$=0.2 and 0.5. Medium-induced jet yield suppression is observed to be larger for $R$=0.2 than for 0.5, reflecting the angular range of jet energy redistribution due to quenching. The predictions of model calculations incorporating jet quenching are not fully consistent with the observations. These results provide new insight into the physical origins of jet quenching.
I_{AA} of Au+Au 0%-15% collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200 GeV for R = 0.2 of gamma_{dir}+jet with E_{T,trig}= 15-20 GeV.
I_{AA} of Au+Au 0%-15% collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200 GeV for R = 0.5 of gamma_{dir}+jet with E_{T,trig}= 15-20 GeV.
I_{AA} of Au+Au 0%-15% collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200 GeV for R = 0.2 of pi^{0}+jet with E_{T,trig}= 11-15 GeV.
Deuterons are atomic nuclei composed of a neutron and a proton held together by the strong interaction. Unbound ensembles composed of a deuteron and a third nucleon have been investigated in the past using scattering experiments and they constitute a fundamental reference in nuclear physics to constrain nuclear interactions and the properties of nuclei. In this work, K$^{+}-$d and p$-$d femtoscopic correlations measured by the ALICE Collaboration in proton$-$proton (pp) collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are presented. It is demonstrated that correlations in momentum space between deuterons and kaons or protons allow us to study three-hadron systems at distances comparable with the proton radius. The analysis of the K$^{+}-$d correlation shows that the relative distances at which deuterons and protons or kaons are produced are around 2 fm. The analysis of the p$-$d correlation shows that only a full three-body calculation that accounts for the internal structure of the deuteron can explain the data. In particular, the sensitivity of the observable to the short-range part of the interaction is demonstrated. These results indicate that correlations involving light nuclei in pp collisions at the LHC will also provide access to any three-body systems in the strange and charm sectors.
The K$^{+}$--d $\oplus$ K$^{-}$--$\overline{\mathrm{d}}$ correlation function as a function of $k^*$.
The p--d $\oplus$ $\overline{\mathrm{p}}$--$\overline{\mathrm{d}}$ correlation function as a function of $k^*$.
The production of K$^*$(892)$^\pm$ meson resonance is measured at midrapidity ($|y|<0.5$) in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K$^*$(892)$^\pm \rightarrow \rm{K^0_S \pi^\pm}$. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the $p_{\rm T}$ range of 0.4-16 GeV/$c$. The reported measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K$^*$(892)$^0$. The $p_{\rm T}$-integrated yield ratio 2K$^*$(892)$^\pm$/($\rm{K^+ + K^-}$) in central Pb-Pb collisions shows a significant suppression (9.3$\sigma$) relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations overpredict the particle yield ratio. Although both simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas MUSIC+SMASH tends to overpredict them. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields of light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which increases towards central collisions. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential yield ratios 2K$^*$(892)$^\pm$/($\rm{K^+ + K^-}$) and 2K$^*$(892)$^\pm$/($\rm{\pi^+ + \pi^-}$) are suppressed by up to a factor of five at $p_{\rm T}<2$ GeV/$c$ in central Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 5.02 TeV. Both particle ratios and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is below unity at $p_{\rm T}>8$ GeV/$c$, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
$p_{\rm T}$-distributions of $\rm{K}^{*}$ (average of particle and anti-particle) meson measured in Pb-Pb collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV for 0-10\% centrality.
$p_{\rm T}$-distributions of $\rm{K}^{*}$ (average of particle and anti-particle) meson measured in Pb-Pb collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV for 10-20\% centrality.
$p_{\rm T}$-distributions of $\rm{K}^{*}$ (average of particle and anti-particle) meson measured in Pb-Pb collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV for 20-40\% centrality.
The production yields of the $\Sigma(1385)^{\pm}$ and $\Xi(1530)^{0}$ resonances are measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with ALICE. The measurements are performed as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity $\langle \mathrm{d}N_\mathrm{ch}/\mathrm{d}\eta \rangle$, which is related to the energy density produced in the collision. The results include transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) distributions, $p_{\rm T}$-integrated yields, mean transverse momenta of $\Sigma(1385)^{\pm}$ and $\Xi(1530)^{0}$, as well as ratios of the $p_{\rm T}$-integrated resonance yields relative to yields of other hadron species. The $\Sigma(1385)^{\pm}/\pi^{\pm}$ and $\Xi(1530)^{0}/\pi^{\pm}$ yield ratios are consistent with the trend of the enhancement of strangeness production from low to high multiplicity pp collisions, which was previously observed for strange and multi-strange baryons. The yield ratio between the measured resonances and the long-lived baryons with the same strangeness content exhibits a hint of a mild increasing trend at low multiplicity, despite too large uncertainties to exclude the flat behaviour. The results are compared with predictions from models such as EPOS-LHC and PYTHIA 8 with Rope shoving. The latter provides the best description of the multiplicity dependence of the $\Sigma(1385)^{\pm}$ and $\Xi(1530)^{0}$ production in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
Sigma(1385)+ pT spectrum in I+II+III V0M mult class
Sigma(1385)+ pT spectrum in IV+V+VI V0M mult class
Sigma(1385)+ pT spectrum in VII+VIII V0M mult class
The transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and centrality dependence of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ of prompt and non-prompt J$/\psi$, the latter originating from the weak decays of beauty hadrons, have been measured by the ALICE collaboration in Pb$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV. The measurements are carried out through the ${\rm e}^{+}{\rm e}^{-}$ decay channel at midrapidity ($|y| < 0.9$) in the transverse momentum region $1.5 < p_{\rm T} < 10$ GeV/$c$. Both prompt and non-prompt J$/\psi$ measurements indicate a significant suppression for $p_{\rm T} >$ 5 GeV/$c$, which becomes stronger with increasing collision centrality. The results are consistent with similar LHC measurements in the overlapping $p_{\rm T}$ intervals, and cover the kinematic region down to $p_{\rm T}$ = 1.5 GeV/$c$ at midrapidity, not accessible by other LHC experiments. The suppression of prompt J$/\psi$ in central and semicentral collisions exhibits a decreasing trend towards lower transverse momentum, described within uncertainties by models implementing J$/\psi$ production from recombination of c and $\overline{\rm c}$ quarks produced independently in different partonic scatterings. At high transverse momentum, transport models including quarkonium dissociation are able to describe the suppression for prompt J$/\psi$. For non-prompt J$/\psi$, the suppression predicted by models including both collisional and radiative processes for the computation of the beauty-quark energy loss inside the quark$-$gluon plasma is consistent with measurements within uncertainties.
Non-prompt J/$\psi$ fraction as a function of transverse momentum in Pb-Pb at 5.02 TeV, centrality 0-10%
Non-prompt J/$\psi$ fraction as a function of transverse momentum in Pb-Pb at 5.02 TeV, centrality 10-30%
Non-prompt J/$\psi$ fraction as a function of transverse momentum in Pb-Pb at 5.02 TeV, centrality 30-50%
The ALICE Collaboration reports measurements of the semi-inclusive distribution of charged-particle jets recoiling from a high transverse momentum (high $p_{\rm T}$) charged hadron, in pp and central Pb$-$Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon$-$nucleon collision $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV. The large uncorrelated background in central Pb$-$Pb collisions is corrected using a data-driven statistical approach, which enables precise measurement of recoil jet distributions over a broad range in $p_{\rm T,ch\,jet}$ and jet resolution parameter $R$. Recoil jet yields are reported for $R=0.2$, 0.4, and 0.5 in the range $7 < p_{\rm T,ch\, jet} < 140$ GeV$/c$ and $\pi/2<\Delta\varphi<\pi$, where $\Delta\varphi$ is the azimuthal angular separation between hadron trigger and recoil jet. The low $p_{\rm T,ch\,jet}$ reach of the measurement explores unique phase space for studying jet quenching, the interaction of jets with the quark-gluonnplasma generated in high-energy nuclear collisions. Comparison of $p_{\rm T,ch\,jet}$ distributions from pp and central Pb$-$Pb collisions probes medium-induced jet energy loss and intra-jet broadening, while comparison of their acoplanarity distributions explores in-medium jet scattering and medium response. The measurements are compared to theoretical calculations incorporating jet quenching.
Corrected $\Delta_\mathrm{recoil} (p_\mathrm{T,ch jet})$ distributions measured for $R=$ 0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV.
Corrected $\Delta_\mathrm{recoil} (p_\mathrm{T,ch jet})$ distributions measured for $R=$ 0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 in Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV.
$I_\mathrm{AA} (p_\mathrm{T,ch jet})$ measured for $R=$ 0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 in Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV.
The ALICE Collaboration reports a search for jet quenching effects in high-multiplicity (HM) proton$-$proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, using the semi-inclusive azimuthal-difference distribution $\Delta\varphi$ of charged-particle jets recoiling from a high transverse momentum (high-$p_{\mathrm{T,trig}}$) trigger hadron. Jet quenching may broaden the $\Delta\varphi$ distribution measured in HM events compared to that in minimum bias (MB) events. The measurement employs a $p_{\mathrm{T,trig}}$-differential observable for data-driven suppression of the contribution of multiple partonic interactions, which is the dominant background. While azimuthal broadening is indeed observed in HM compared to MB events, similar broadening for HM events is observed for simulations based on the PYTHIA 8 Monte Carlo generator, which does not incorporate jet quenching. Detailed analysis of these data and simulations show that the azimuthal broadening is due to bias of the HM selection towards events with multiple jets in the final state. The identification of this bias has implications for all jet quenching searches where selection is made on the event activity.
Probability distribution of $\mathrm{V0M}/\langle \mathrm{V0M} \rangle$ in MB pp collisions measured at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
Fully-corrected $\Delta_{\mathrm{recoil}} (p_{\mathrm{T, jet}}^{\mathrm{ch}})$ distributions measured in MB and HM-selected events in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}= 13$ TeV.
Fully-corrected $\Delta_{\mathrm{recoil}} (\Delta\phi)$ distributions for $p_{\mathrm{T, jet}}^{\mathrm{ch}} \in (20, 40)$ GeV/$c$ measured in MB and HM-selected events in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}= 13$ TeV.