We present the first systematic comparison of the charged-particle pseudorapidity densities for three widely different collision systems, pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb, at the top energy of the Large Hadron Collider ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV) measured over a wide pseudorapidity range (${-3.5 <\eta <5}$), the widest possible among the four experiments at that facility. The systematic uncertainties are minimised since the measurements are recorded by the same experimental apparatus (ALICE). The distributions for p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions are determined as a function of the centrality of the collisions, while results from pp collisions are reported for inelastic events with at least one charged particle at midrapidity. The charged-particle pseudorapidity densities are, under simple and robust assumptions, transformed to charged-particle rapidity densities. This allows for the calculation and the presentation of the evolution of the width of the rapidity distributions and of a lower bound on the Bjorken energy density, as a function of the number of participants in all three collision systems. We find a decreasing width of the particle production, and roughly a smooth ten fold increase in the energy density, as the system size grows, which is consistent with a gradually higher dense phase of matter.
$\frac{\mathrm{d}N}{\mathrm{d}\eta}$ versus $\eta$ for $x^{\pm}$ in $\mathrm{p}\mathrm{p}$ at $\sqrt{s}=5.023\,\mathrm{Te\!V}$
$\frac{\mathrm{d}N}{\mathrm{d}\eta}$ versus $\eta$ for $x^{\pm}$ in $\mathrm{p}-\mathrm{Pb}$ at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.023\,\mathrm{Te\!V}$
$\frac{\mathrm{d}N}{\mathrm{d}\eta}$ versus $\eta$ for $x^{\pm}$ in $\mathrm{Pb}-\mathrm{Pb}$ at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.023\,\mathrm{Te\!V}$
We present the charged-particle pseudorapidity density in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02\,\mathrm{Te\kern-.25exV}$ in centrality classes measured by ALICE. The measurement covers a wide pseudorapidity range from $-3.5$ to $5$, which is sufficient for reliable estimates of the total number of charged particles produced in the collisions. For the most central (0-5%) collisions we find $21\,400\pm 1\,300$ while for the most peripheral (80-90%) we find $230\pm 38$. This corresponds to an increase of $(27\pm4)\%$ over the results at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=2.76\,\mathrm{Te\kern-.25exV}$ previously reported by ALICE. The energy dependence of the total number of charged particles produced in heavy-ion collisions is found to obey a modified power-law like behaviour. The charged-particle pseudorapidity density of the most central collisions is compared to model calculations --- none of which fully describes the measured distribution. We also present an estimate of the rapidity density of charged particles. The width of that distribution is found to exhibit a remarkable proportionality to the beam rapidity, independent of the collision energy from the top SPS to LHC energies.
Charged-particle pseudorapidity density for ten centrality classes over a broad $\eta$ range in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}}=5.02\,\mathrm{TeV}$. Boxes around the points reflect the total uncorrelated systematic uncertainties, while the filled squares on the right reflect the correlated systematic uncertainty (evaluated at $\eta=0$). Statistical errors are generally insignificant and smaller than the markers. Also shown is the reflection of the $3.5<\eta<5$ values around $\eta=0$ (open circles). The line corresponds to fits of the difference between two Gaussians centred at $\eta=0$ ($f_{\text{GG}}$) [PLB754.373] to the data.
Charged-particle pseudorapidity density at midrapidity in most perihperhal (80-90%) Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\scriptscriptstyle\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02\,\mathrm{TeV}$.
Total number of charged particles as a function of the mean number of participating nucleons [PRC88.044909]. The total charged-particle multiplicity is given as the integral over $\mathrm{d}N_{\mathrm{ch}}/\mathrm{d}\eta$ over the measured region ($-3.5<\eta<5$) and extrapolations from fitted functions in the unmeasured regions. The contribution from unmeasured $\eta$ regions amounts to $\approx30\%$ of the total number of charged particles. The uncertainty on the extrapolation to the unmeasured pseudorapidity region is smaller than the size of the markers. The contribution to the systematic uncertainties from the centrality determination and electromagnetic processes are vanishing compared to the contribution from the largest differences between the fitted functions. A function inspired by factorisation [PRC83.024913] is fitted to the data, and the best fit yields $a=51.5\pm7.3$, $b=0.16\pm0.05$.
A detailed study of pseudorapidity densities and multiplicity distributions of primary charged particles produced in proton-proton collisions, at $\sqrt{s} =$ 0.9, 2.36, 2.76, 7 and 8 TeV, in the pseudorapidity range $|\eta|<2$, was carried out using the ALICE detector. Measurements were obtained for three event classes: inelastic, non-single diffractive and events with at least one charged particle in the pseudorapidity interval $|\eta|<1$. The use of an improved track-counting algorithm combined with ALICE's measurements of diffractive processes allows a higher precision compared to our previous publications. A KNO scaling study was performed in the pseudorapidity intervals $|\eta|<$ 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5. The data are compared to other experimental results and to models as implemented in Monte Carlo event generators PHOJET and recent tunes of PYTHIA6, PYTHIA8 and EPOS.
Measured pseudorapidity dependence of $dN/d\eta$ for INEL collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 900 GeV.
Measured pseudorapidity dependence of $dN/d\eta$ for NSD collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 900 GeV.
Measured pseudorapidity dependence of $dN/d\eta$ for INEL>0 collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 900 GeV.
The multiplicity and pseudorapidity distributions of inclusive photons have been measured at forward rapidities ($2.3 < \eta < 3.9$) in proton-proton collisions at three center-of-mass energies, $\sqrt{s}=0.9$, 2.76 and 7 TeV using the ALICE detector. It is observed that the increase in the average photon multiplicity as a function of beam energy is compatible with both a logarithmic and a power-law dependence. The relative increase in average photon multiplicity produced in inelastic pp collisions at 2.76 and 7 TeV center-of-mass energies with respect to 0.9 TeV are 37.2% $\pm$ 0.3% (stat) $\pm$ 8.8% (sys) and 61.2% $\pm$ 0.3% (stat) $\pm$ 7.6% (sys), respectively. The photon multiplicity distributions for all center-of-mass energies are well described by negative binomial distributions. The multiplicity distributions are also presented in terms of KNO variables. The results are compared to model predictions, which are found in general to underestimate the data at large photon multiplicities, in particular at the highest center-of-mass energy. Limiting fragmentation behavior of photons has been explored with the data, but is not observed in the measured pseudorapidity range.
Photon multiplicity distribution for INEL proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=0.9 TeV.
Photon multiplicity distribution for INEL proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=2.76 TeV.
Photon multiplicity distribution for INEL proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV.
This note describes the details of the analysis of charged-particle pseudorapidity densities and multiplicity distributions measured by the ALICE detector in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9 and 7 TeV in specific phase space regions. The primary goal of the analysis is to provide reference measurements for Monte Carlo tuning. The pseudorapidity range |h| < 0.8 is considered and a lower $p_T$ cut is applied, at 0.15, 0.5 GeV/c and at 1 GeV/c. The choice of such phase space regions to measure the charged-particle multiplicity allows a direct comparison with the analogous results obtained by other LHC collaborations, namely ATLAS and CMS. The class of events considered are those having at least one charged particle in the kinematical ranges just described. In the note, the analysis procedure is presented, together with the corrections applied to the data, and the systematic uncertainty evaluation. The comparison of the results with different Monte Carlo generators is also shown.
dNch/deta versus eta obtained at sqrt(s) = 0.9 and 7 TeV with pT > 0.15 GeV.
dNch/deta versus eta obtained at sqrt(s) = 0.9 and 7 TeV with pT > 0.50 GeV.
dNch/deta versus eta obtained at sqrt(s) = 0.9 and 7 TeV with pT > 1.00 GeV.
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