The production of prompt D$_s^+$ mesons was measured for the first time in collisions of heavy nuclei with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The analysis was performed on a data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair, $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, of 2.76 TeV in two different centrality classes, namely 0-10% and 20-50%. D$_s^+$ mesons and their antiparticles were reconstructed at mid-rapidity from their hadronic decay channel D$_s^+\rightarrow\phi\pi^+$, with $\phi\rightarrow$K$^-$K$^+$, in the transverse momentum intervals $4< p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$ and $6< p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$ for the 0-10% and 20-50% centrality classes, respectively. The nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ was computed by comparing the $p_{\rm T}$-differential production yields in Pb-Pb collisions to those in proton-proton (pp) collisions at the same energy. This pp reference was obtained using the cross section measured at $\sqrt{s}= 7$ TeV and scaled to $\sqrt{s}= 2.76$ TeV. The $R_{\rm AA}$ of D$_s^+$ mesons was compared to that of non-strange D mesons in the 10% most central Pb-Pb collisions. At high $p_{\rm T}$ ($8< p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$) a suppression of the D$_s^+$-meson yield by a factor of about three, compatible within uncertainties with that of non-strange D mesons, is observed. At lower $p_{\rm T}$ ($4< p_{\rm T}<8$ GeV/$c$) the values of the D$_s^+$-meson $R_{\rm AA}$ are larger than those of non-strange D mesons, although compatible within uncertainties. The production ratios D$_s^+$/D$^0$ and D$_s^+$\D$^+$ were also measured in Pb-Pb collisions and compared to their values in proton-proton collisions.
$p_{\rm T}$-differential yield of prompt D$_s^+$ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$=2.76 TeV in the centrality class 0-10% in the rapidity interval |y|<0.5. Branching ratio of D$_s^+$->$\phi\pi^+$->$K^+K^-\pi^+$ : 0.0224. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
$p_{\rm T}$-differential yield of prompt D$_s^+$ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$=2.76 TeV in the centrality class 20-50% in the rapidity interval |y|<0.5. Branching ratio of D$_s^+$->$\phi\pi^+$->$K^+K^-\pi^+$ : 0.0224. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
Nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ of D$_s^+$ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$=2.76 TeV in the centrality class 0-10% in |y| < 0.5 as a function of $p_{\rm T}$.
The production of prompt charmed mesons D$^0$, D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$, and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair, $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, of 2.76 TeV. The production yields for rapidity $|y|<0.5$ are presented as a function of transverse momentum, $p_{\rm T}$, in the interval 1-36 GeV/$c$ for the centrality class 0-10% and in the interval 1-16 GeV/$c$ for the centrality class 30-50%. The nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ was computed using a proton-proton reference at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV, based on measurements at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV and on theoretical calculations. A maximum suppression by a factor of 5-6 with respect to binary-scaled pp yields is observed for the most central collisions at $p_{\rm T}$ of about 10 GeV/$c$. A suppression by a factor of about 2-3 persists at the highest $p_{\rm T}$ covered by the measurements. At low $p_{\rm T}$ (1-3 GeV/$c$), the $R_{\rm AA}$ has large uncertainties that span the range 0.35 (factor of about 3 suppression) to 1 (no suppression). In all $p_{\rm T}$ intervals, the $R_{\rm AA}$ is larger in the 30-50% centrality class compared to central collisions. The D-meson $R_{\rm AA}$ is also compared with that of charged pions and, at large $p_{\rm T}$, charged hadrons, and with model calculations.
$p_{\rm T}$-differential yield of prompt ${\rm D}^{0}$ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76~{\rm TeV}$ in the centrality class 0-10% in the rapidity interval |y|<0.5. Branching ratio of ${\rm D}^{0}$->${\rm K}^{0}\pi^{+}$ : 0.0388. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
$p_{\rm T}$-differential yield of prompt ${\rm D}^{+}$ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76~{\rm TeV}$ in the centrality class 0-10% in the rapidity interval |y|<0.5. Branching ratio of ${\rm D}^{+}$->${\rm K}^{-}\pi^{+}\pi^{+}$ : 0.0913. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
$p_{\rm T}$-differential yield of prompt ${\rm D}^{*+}$ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76~{\rm TeV}$ in the centrality class 0-10% in the rapidity interval |y|<0.5. Branching ratio of ${\rm D}^{*+}$->${\rm D}^{0}\pi^{+}$->${\rm K}^{-}\pi^{+}\pi^{+}$ : 0.0388*0.677. The second (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the B feed-down contribution. The first (sys) error is the systematic uncertainty from the other sources.
Invariant yields of neutral pions at midrapidity in the transverse momentum range $0.6 < p_{T} < 12 GeV/c$ measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV are presented for six centrality classes. The pp reference spectrum was measured in the range $0.4 < p_{T} < 10 GeV/c$ at the same center-of-mass energy. The nuclear modification factor, $R_{\rm AA}$, shows a suppression of neutral pions in central Pb-Pb collisions by a factor of up to about $8-10$ for $5 \lesssim p_{T} \lesssim 7 GeV/c$. The presented measurements are compared with results at lower center-of-mass energies and with theoretical calculations.
Invariant differential yields of PI0 produced in inelastic pp collisions at center-of-mass energy 2.76 TeV.
Invariant differential cross section of PI0 produced in inelastic pp collisions at center-of-mass energy 2.76 TeV, the uncertainty of \sigma_{inel} of 3.9% is not included in the systematic error.
Invariant differential yields of PI0 produced in 0-5% central inelastic PbPb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon 2.76 TeV.
Inclusive transverse momentum spectra of primary charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}}$ = 2.76 TeV have been measured by the ALICE Collaboration at the LHC. The data are presented for central and peripheral collisions, corresponding to 0-5% and 70-80% of the hadronic Pb-Pb cross section. The measured charged particle spectra in $|\eta|<0.8$ and $0.3 < p_T < 20$ GeV/$c$ are compared to the expectation in pp collisions at the same $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, scaled by the number of underlying nucleon-nucleon collisions. The comparison is expressed in terms of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$. The result indicates only weak medium effects ($R_{\rm AA} \approx $ 0.7) in peripheral collisions. In central collisions, $R_{\rm AA}$ reaches a minimum of about 0.14 at $p_{\rm T}=6$-7GeV/$c$ and increases significantly at larger $p_{\rm T}$. The measured suppression of high-$p_{\rm T}$ particles is stronger than that observed at lower collision energies, indicating that a very dense medium is formed in central Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC.
PT distributions of primary charged particles at mid-rapidity in central and peripheral PB-PB collisions.
PT distributions of primary charged particles at mid-rapidity in central and peripheral PB-PB collisions estimated from scaled PP data as described in the text of the paper.
Measurments of RAA, the nuclear modification factor (rate of PB-PB to P P cross section) in the central region.
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