A study of strange hadron production associated with hard scattering processes and with the underlying event is conducted to investigate the origin of the enhanced production of strange hadrons in small collision systems characterised by large charged-particle multiplicities. For this purpose, the production of the single-strange meson ${\rm K^0_S}$ and the double-strange baryon $\Xi^{\pm}$ is measured, in each event, in the azimuthal direction of the highest-$p_{\rm T}$ particle (``trigger" particle), related to hard scattering processes, and in the direction transverse to it in azimuth, associated with the underlying event, in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The per-trigger yields of ${\rm K^0_S}$ and $\Xi^{\pm}$ are dominated by the transverse-to-leading production (i.e., in the direction transverse to the trigger particle), whose contribution relative to the toward-leading production is observed to increase with the event charged-particle multiplicity. The transverse-to-leading and the toward-leading $\Xi^{\pm}$/${\rm K^0_S}$ yield ratios increase with the multiplicity of charged particles, suggesting that strangeness enhancement with multiplicity is associated with both hard scattering processes and the underlying event. The relative production of $\Xi^{\pm}$ with respect to ${\rm K^0_S}$ is higher in transverse-to-leading processes over the whole multiplicity interval covered by the measurement. The ${\rm K}^{0}_{\rm{S}}$ and $\Xi^{\pm}$ per-trigger yields and yield ratios are compared with predictions of three different phenomenological models, namely PYTHIA 8.2 with the Monash tune, PYTHIA 8.2 with ropes and EPOS LHC. The comparison shows that none of them can quantitatively describe either the transverse-to-leading or the toward-leading yields of ${\rm K}^{0}_{\rm{S}}$ and $\Xi^{\pm}$.
Yields of $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ per trigger particle per unit $\Delta\eta\Delta\varphi$ area in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, as a function of the $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ $p_\rm{T}$. Trigger particles are charged particles with $p_\rm{T}>3$ GeV/c. The trigger-particle-$\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ correlation is integrated in the ranges $-1.2<\Delta\eta<1.2$ and $-\pi/2<\Delta\varphi<3/2\pi$.
Transverse-to-leading yields of $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ per trigger particle per unit $\Delta\eta\Delta\varphi$ area in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, as a function of the $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ $p_\rm{T}$. Trigger particles are charged particles with $p_\rm{T}>3$ GeV/c. The trigger-particle-$\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ correlation is integrated in the ranges $0.86<|\Delta\eta|<1.2$ and $0.96<\Delta\varphi<1.8$.
Toward-leading yields of $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ per trigger particle per unit $\Delta\eta\Delta\varphi$ area in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, as a function of the $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ $p_\rm{T}$. Trigger particles are charged particles with $p_\rm{T}>3$ GeV/c. The trigger-particle-$\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ correlation is integrated in the ranges $|\Delta\eta|<0.86$ and $|\Delta\varphi|<1.1$.
The first measurement of the impact-parameter dependent angular anisotropy in the decay of coherently photoproduced $\rho^0$ mesons is presented. The $\rho^0$ mesons are reconstructed through their decay into a pion pair. The measured anisotropy corresponds to the amplitude of the $\cos(2\phi)$ modulation, where $\phi$ is the angle between the two vectors formed by the sum and the difference of the transverse momenta of the pions, respectively. The measurement was performed by the ALICE Collaboration at the LHC using data from ultraperipheral Pb$-$Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}~=~5.02$ TeV per nucleon pair. Different impact-parameter regions are selected by classifying the events in nuclear-breakup classes. The amplitude of the $\cos(2\phi)$ modulation is found to increase by about one order of magnitude from large to small impact parameters. Theoretical calculations, which describe the measurement, explain the $\cos(2\phi)$ anisotropy as the result of a quantum interference effect at the femtometer scale that arises from the ambiguity as to which of the nuclei is the source of the photon in the interaction.
Amplitudes of the $\cos(2\phi)$ modulation of the $ρ^0$ yield in ultra-peripheral Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV in all neutron classes.
The first measurement of the multiplicity dependence of intra-jet properties of leading charged-particle jets in proton-proton (pp) collisions is reported. The mean charged-particle multiplicity and jet fragmentation distributions are measured in minimum-bias and high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV using the ALICE detector. Jets are reconstructed from charged particles produced in the midrapidity region ($|\eta| < 0.9$) using the sequential recombination anti-$k_{\rm T}$ algorithm with jet resolution parameters $R$ = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 for the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) interval 5$-$110 GeV/$c$. High-multiplicity events are selected by the forward V0 scintillator detectors. The mean charged-particle multiplicity inside the leading jet cone rises monotonically with increasing jet $p_{\rm T}$ in qualitative agreement with previous measurements at lower energies. The distributions of jet fragmentation functions $z^{\rm ch}$ and $\xi^{\rm ch}$ are measured for different jet-$p_{\rm T}$ intervals. Jet-$p_{\rm T}$ independent fragmentation of leading jets is observed for wider jets except at high- and low-$z^{\rm ch}$. The observed "hump-backed plateau" structure in the $\xi^{\rm ch}$ distribution indicates suppression of low-$p_{\rm T}$ particles. In high-multiplicity events, an enhancement of the fragmentation probability of low-$z^{\rm ch}$ particles accompanied by a suppression of high-$z^{\rm ch}$ particles is observed compared to minimum-bias events. This behavior becomes more prominent for low-$p_{\rm T}$ jets with larger jet radius. The results are compared with predictions of QCD-inspired event generators, PYTHIA 8 with Monash 2013 tune and EPOS LHC. It is found that PYTHIA 8 qualitatively reproduces the jet modification in high-multiplicity events except at high jet $p_{\rm T}$. These measurements provide important constraints to models of jet fragmentation.
Mean number of charged particles ($\langle N_{\mathrm{ch}} \rangle$) within leading charged-particle jets as a function of $p_{T}^{\mathrm{jet, ch}}$ for minimum-bias (MB) pp collisions.
Mean number of charged particles ($\langle N_{\mathrm{ch}} \rangle$) within leading charged-particle jets as a function of $p_{T}^{\mathrm{jet, ch}}$ for high-multiplicity (HM) pp collisions.
The ratio of $\langle N_{\mathrm{ch}} \rangle$ between high-multiplicity (HM) and minimum-bias (MB) events as a function of $p_{T}^{\mathrm{jet, ch}}$ for pp collisions.
In this letter, measurements of (anti)alpha production in central (0$-$10%) Pb$-$Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon$-$nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV are presented, including the first measurement of an antialpha transverse-momentum spectrum. Owing to its large mass, (anti)alpha production yields and transverse-momentum spectra are of particular interest because they provide a stringent test of particle production models. The averaged antialpha and alpha spectrum is included into a common blast-wave fit with lighter particles, indicating that the (anti)alpha also participates in the collective expansion of the medium created in the collision. A blast-wave fit including only protons, (anti)alpha, and other light nuclei results in a similar flow velocity as the fit that includes all particles. A similar flow velocity, but a significantly larger kinetic freeze-out temperature is obtained when only protons and light nuclei are included in the fit. The coalescence parameter $B_4$ is well described by calculations from a statistical hadronization model but significantly underestimated by calculations assuming nucleus formation via coalescence of nucleons. Similarly, the (anti)alpha-to-proton ratio is well described by the statistical hadronization model. On the other hand, coalescence calculations including approaches with different implementations of the (anti)alpha substructure tend to underestimate the data.
Antialpha spectrum in 0-10% V0M centrality class
Alpha spectrum in 0-10% V0M centrality class
Average alpha and antialpha spectrum in 0-10% V0M centrality class
The azimuthal anisotropy of particles associated with jets (jet particles) at midrapidity is measured for the first time in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV down to transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) of 0.5 GeV/$c$ and 2 GeV/$c$, respectively, with ALICE. The second-order Fourier coefficient of the jet-particle azimuthal distribution ($v_2$) in high-multiplicity p-Pb collisions is positive, with a significance reaching 6.8$\sigma$ at low $p_{\rm T}$. Comparisons with the inclusive charged-particle $v_2$ and with AMPT calculations are discussed. The model describes qualitatively the main features of the jet-particle $v_2$ in high-multiplicity p-Pb collisions and indicates that the positive jet-particle $v_2$ is generated by parton interactions.
Inclusive charged-particle $v_{2}$ as a function of $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ in high-multiplicity (0$-$10%) p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV
Jet-particle $v_{2}$ as a function of $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ in high-multiplicity (0$-$10%) p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, the $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ of associated particles is larger than 0.5 GeV/$\it{c}$
Jet-particle $v_{2}$ as a function of $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ in high-multiplicity (0$-$10%) p$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, the $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ of associated particles is larger than 1 GeV/$\it{c}$
The first measurements of femtoscopic correlations with the particle pair combinations $\pi^\pm$K$^0_{\rm S}$ in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are reported by the ALICE experiment. Using the femtoscopic approach, it is shown that it is possible to study the elusive K$^*_0(700)$ particle that has been considered a tetraquark candidate for over forty years. Boson source parameters and final-state interaction parameters are extracted by fitting a model assuming a Gaussian source to the experimentally measured two-particle correlation functions. The final-state interaction is modeled through a resonant scattering amplitude, defined in terms of a mass and a coupling parameter, decaying into a $\pi^\pm$K$^0_{\rm S}$ pair. The extracted mass and Breit-Wigner width, derived from the coupling parameter, of the final-state interaction are found to be consistent with previous measurements of the K$^*_0(700)$. The small value and increasing behavior of the correlation strength with increasing source size support the hypothesis that the K$^*_0(700)$ is a four-quark state, i.e. a tetraquark state. This latter trend is also confirmed via a simple geometric model that assumes a tetraquark structure of the K$^*_0(700)$ resonance.
Experimental $C(k^*)$, 0-100% mult. class, $k_{\rm T}>0$.
PYTHIA $C(k^*)$, 0-100% mult. class, $k_{\rm T}>0$.
Experimental $C(k^*)$, 0-100% mult. class, $k_{\rm T}<0.5$ GeV/$c$.
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 proton/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 $k^*$.
Results on the transverse spherocity dependence of light-flavor particle production ($\pi$, K, p, $\phi$, ${\rm K^{*0}}$, ${\rm K}^{0}_{\rm{S}}$, $\Lambda$, $\Xi$) at midrapidity in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV were obtained with the ALICE apparatus. The transverse spherocity estimator ($S_{{\rm O}}^{{\it p}_{\rm T}=1}$) categorizes events by their azimuthal topology. Utilizing narrow selections on $S_{\text{O}}^{{\it p}_{\rm T}=1}$, it is possible to contrast particle production in collisions dominated by many soft initial interactions with that observed in collisions dominated by one or more hard scatterings. Results are reported for two multiplicity estimators covering different pseudorapidity regions. The $S_{{\rm O}}^{{\it p}_{\rm T}=1}$ estimator is found to effectively constrain the hardness of the events when the midrapidity ($\left | \eta \right |< 0.8$) estimator is used. The production rates of strange particles are found to be slightly higher for soft isotropic topologies, and severely suppressed in hard jet-like topologies. These effects are more pronounced for hadrons with larger mass and strangeness content, and observed when the topological selection is done within a narrow multiplicity interval. This demonstrates that an important aspect of the universal scaling of strangeness enhancement with final-state multiplicity is that high-multiplicity collisions are dominated by soft, isotropic processes. On the contrary, strangeness production in events with jet-like processes is significantly reduced. The results presented in this article are compared with several QCD-inspired Monte Carlo event generators. Models that incorporate a two-component phenomenology, either through mechanisms accounting for string density, or thermal production, are able to describe the observed strangeness enhancement as a function of $S_{{\rm O}}^{{\it p}_{\rm T}=1}$.
Spherocity distributions with respect to different multiplicity selections.
<pT> vs <dN_{#pi}/dEta> for different multiplicity and spherocity classes.
pT differential Phi spectra as a function of spherocity within 0-1% nTracklets.
Charge-dependent two- and three-particle correlations measured in Xe-Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.44$ TeV are presented. Results are obtained for charged particles in the pseudorapidity range $|\eta|<0.8$ and transverse momentum interval $0.2 \le p_{\rm T}<5.0$ GeV/$c$ for different collision centralities. The three-particle correlator ${\gamma_{\alpha\beta}} \equiv {\langle \cos(\varphi_\alpha + \varphi_\beta - 2{\Psi_{\rm 2}}) \rangle}$, calculated for different combinations of charge sign $\alpha$ and $\beta$, is expected to be sensitive to the presence of the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME). Its magnitude is similar to the one observed in Pb-Pb collisions in contrast to a smaller CME signal in Xe-Xe collisions than in Pb-Pb collisions predicted by Monte Carlo (MC) calculations including a magnetic field induced by the spectator protons. These observations point to a large non-CME contribution to the correlator. Furthermore, the charge dependence of ${\gamma_{\alpha\beta}}$ can be described by a blast wave model calculation that incorporates background effects and by the Anomalous Viscous Fluid Dynamics model with values of the CME signal consistent with zero. The Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb results are combined with the expected CME signal dependence on the system size from the MC calculations including a magnetic field to obtain the fraction of CME contribution in ${\gamma_{\alpha\beta}}$, $f_{\rm CME}$. The CME fraction is compatible with zero for the 30% most central events in both systems and then becomes positive; averaging over the 0-70% centrality interval yields an upper limit of 2% (3%) and 25% (32%) at 95% (99.7%) confidence level for the CME signal contribution to ${\gamma_{\alpha\beta}}$ in Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb collisions, respectively.
$\langle \cos(\varphi_{\alpha} - \varphi_{\beta}) \rangle$ (opposite charge pairs) as a function of centrality in Xe-Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.44$ TeV.
$\langle \cos(\varphi_{\alpha} - \varphi_{\beta}) \rangle$ (same charge pairs) as a function of centrality in Xe-Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.44$ TeV.
$\langle \cos(\varphi_{\alpha} + \varphi_{\beta} - 2\Psi_{2}) \rangle$ (opposite charge pairs) as a function of centrality in Xe-Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.44$ TeV.
The two-particle momentum correlation functions between charm mesons ($\mathrm{D^{*\pm}}$ and $\mathrm{D}^\pm$) and charged light-flavor mesons ($\pi^{\pm}$ and K$^{\pm}$) in all charge-combinations are measured for the first time by the ALICE Collaboration in high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} =13$ TeV. For $\mathrm{DK}$ and $\mathrm{D^*K}$ pairs, the experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions of the residual strong interaction based on quantum chromodynamics calculations on the lattice and chiral effective field theory. In the case of $\mathrm{D}\pi$ and $\mathrm{D^*}\pi$ pairs, tension between the calculations including strong interactions and the measurement is observed. For all particle pairs, the data can be adequately described by Coulomb interaction only, indicating a shallow interaction between charm and light-flavor mesons. Finally, the scattering lengths governing the residual strong interaction of the $\mathrm{D}\pi$ and $\mathrm{D^*}\pi$ systems are determined by fitting the experimental correlation functions with a model that employs a Gaussian potential. The extracted values are small and compatible with zero.
Genuine correlation function for $D^{+}\uppi^{-}$ in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
Genuine correlation function for $D^{+}\uppi^{+}$ in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
Genuine correlation function for $D^{+}K^{-}$ in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
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