The observation of an anomalous J/ ψ suppression in Pb–Pb collisions by the NA50 Collaboration can be considered as the most striking indication for the deconfinement of quarks and gluons at SPS energies. In this Letter, we determine the J/ ψ suppression pattern as a function of the forward hadronic energy E ZDC measured in a Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC). The direct connection between E ZDC and the geometry of the collision allows us to calculate, within a Glauber approach, the precise relation between the number of participant nucleons N part and E ZDC . Then, we check if the experimental data can be better explained by a sudden or a smooth onset of the anomalous J/ ψ suppression as a function of the number of participants.
Minimum Bias E(C=ZDC) spectrum. Data extracted from fig with g3data, statistical errors not included and are set to 0, the systematic errors given by g3data due to extraction.
Number of participants as a function of E(C=ZDC) Data exctracted from fig with g3data, the systematic errors given by g3data due to extraction, and those marked (stat) are in this case the r.m.s. of the Npart distribution at fixed E(C=ZDC).;.
SIG(J/PSI)/SIG(DY) as a function of E(C=ZDC) with the standard analyses of the 1996 DATA 1996, standard analyses.
Muon pairs produced in Pb–Pb interactions at 158 GeV/ c per nucleon are used to study the transverse momentum distributions of the J/ ψ , ψ ′ and dimuons in the mass continuum. In particular, the dependence of these distributions on the centrality of the Pb–Pb collision is investigated in detail.
Mean values of PT and PT**2 calculated from the IMR distributions.
Mean values of PT and PT**2 calculated from the J/PSI distributions.
Mean values of PT and PT**2 calculated from the PSI(3685) distributions.
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