We present the first wide-range measurement of the charged-particle pseudorapidity density distribution, for different centralities (the 0-5%, 5-10%, 10-20%, and 20-30% most central events) in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV at the LHC. The measurement is performed using the full coverage of the ALICE detectors, $-5.0 < \eta < 5.5$, and employing a special analysis technique based on collisions arising from LHC "satellite" bunches. We present the pseudorapidity density as a function of the number of participating nucleons as well as an extrapolation to the total number of produced charged particles ($N_{\rm ch} = 17165 \pm 772$ for the 0-5% most central collisions). From the measured ${\rm d}N_{\rm ch}/{\rm d}\eta$ distribution we derive the rapidity density distribution, ${\rm d}N_{\rm ch}/{\rm d}y$, under simple assumptions. The rapidity density distribution is found to be significantly wider than the predictions of the Landau model. We assess the validity of longitudinal scaling by comparing to lower energy results from RHIC. Finally the mechanisms of the underlying particle production are discussed based on a comparison with various theoretical models.
The inclusive production cross sections of the charmed mesons D^0, D^+, D_s^+ and D^{*+} have been measured in interactions of 920 GeV protons on C, Ti, and W targets with the HERA-B detector at the HERA storage ring. Differential cross sections as a function of transverse momentum and Feynman's x variable are given for the central rapidity region and for transverse momenta up to $\pT=3.5$ GeV/$c$. The atomic mass number dependence and the leading to non-leading particle production asymmetries are presented as well.
The ratio of the production cross sections times branching fractions (sigma(Bc+) B(Bc+ to J/psi pi+))/ (sigma(B+) B(B+ to J/psi K+)) is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The kinematic region investigated requires Bc+/- and B+/- mesons with transverse momentum pt > 15 GeV and rapidity abs(y) < 1.6. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 inverse femtobarns. The ratio is determined to be [0.48 +/- 0.05 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) +/- 0.05 (tau_{Bc})]% The J/psi pi+/- pi+/- pi-/+ decay mode is also observed in the same data sample. Using a model-independent method developed to measure the efficiency given the presence of resonant behaviour in the three-pion system, the ratio of the branching fractions B(Bc+/- to J/psi pi+/- pi+/- pi-/+) / B(Bc+/- to J/psi pi+/-) is measured to be 2.55 +/- 0.80 (stat) +/- 0.33 (syst) +0.04/-0.01 (tau[Bc+]), consistent with the previous LHCb result.
We present the midrapidity charged pion invariant cross sections and the ratio of $\pi^-$-to-$\pi^+$ production ($5<p_T<13$ GeV/$c$), together with the double-helicity asymmetries ($5<p_T<12$ GeV/$c$) in polarized $p$$+$$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 200$ GeV. The cross section measurements are consistent with perturbative calculations in quantum chromodynamics within large uncertainties in the calculation due to the choice of factorization, renormalization, and fragmentation scales. However, the theoretical calculation of the ratio of $\pi^-$-to-$\pi^+$ production when considering these scale uncertainties overestimates the measured value, suggesting further investigation of the uncertainties on the charge-separated pion fragmentation functions is needed. Due to cancellations of uncertainties in the charge ratio, direct inclusion of these ratio data in future parameterizations should improve constraints on the flavor dependence of quark fragmentation functions to pions. By measuring charge-separated pion asymmetries, one can gain sensitivity to the sign of $\Delta G$ through the opposite sign of the up and down quark helicity distributions in conjunction with preferential fragmentation of positive pions from up quarks and negative pions from down quarks. The double-helicity asymmetries presented are sensitive to the gluon helicity distribution over an $x$ range of $\sim$0.03--0.16.
We present a measurement of the ratio of multijet cross sections in pp-bar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The measurement is based on a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.7 fb-1 collected with the D0 detector. The ratio of the inclusive three-jet to two-jet cross sections, R3/2, has been measured as a function of the jet transverse momenta. The data are compared to QCD predictions in different approximations. Popular tunes of the PYTHIA event generator do not agree with the data, while SHERPA provides a reasonable description of the data. A perturbative QCD prediction in next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant, corrected for non-perturbative effects, gives a good description of the data.
We present a measurement of the cross sections for the associated production of a $W$ boson with at least one heavy quark jet, $b$ or $c$, in proton-antiproton collisions. Data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.7 fb$^{-1}$ recorded with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron \ppbar Collider at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV are used to measure the cross sections differentially as a function of the jet transverse momenta in the range 20 to 150 GeV. These results are compared to calculations of perturbative QCD theory as well as predictions from Monte Carlo generators.
We measure the ratio of cross sections, {\sigma}(ppbar -> Z + b jet)/{\sigma}(ppbar -> Z + jet), for associated production of a Z boson with at least one jet. The ratio is also measured as a function of the jet transverse momentum, jet pseudorapidity, Z boson transverse momentum, and the azimuthal angle between the Z boson and the closest jet for events with at least one b jet. These measurements use data collected by the D0 experiment in Run II of Fermilab's Tevatron ppbar Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 9.7 fb$^{-1}$. The results are compared to predictions from next-to-leading order calculations and various Monte Carlo event generators.
We present measurements of the differential cross section $d\sigma/dp_{T}^{\gamma}$ for the associated production of a $c$-quark jet and an isolated photon with rapidity $|y^{\gamma}|< 1.0$ and transverse momentum $30 < p_{T}^{\gamma} < 300$ GeV. The $c$-quark jets are required to have $|y^{jet}| < 1.5$ and $p_{T}^{jet} >15$ GeV. The ratio of differential cross sections for photon+ c and photon+ b production as a function of $p_{T}^{\gamma}$ is also presented. The results are based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.7 fb$^{-1}$ recorded with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron $p\bar{p}$ Collider at $\sqrt{s}=$1.96 TeV. The obtained results are compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations using various parton distribution functions, to predictions based on the $k_{T}$-factorization approach, and to predictions from the Sherpa and Pythia Monte Carlo event generators.
We present the first measurements of the differential cross section $d\sigma/dp_{T}^{\gamma}$ for the production of an isolated photon in association with at least two $b$-quark jets. The measurements consider photons with rapidities $|y^\gamma| < 1.0$ and transverse momenta $30 < p_{T}^{\gamma} < 200$~\GeV. The $b$-quark jets are required to have $p_T^{jet}>15$ GeV and $| y^{jet}| < 1.5$. The ratio of differential production cross sections for $\gamma+2~b$-jets to $\gamma+b$-jet as a function of $p_{T}^{\gamma}$ is also presented. The results are based on the proton-antiproton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=$1.96~\TeV collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The measured cross sections and their ratios are compared to the next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations as well as predictions based on the $k_{T}$-factorization approach and those from the SHERPA and PYTHIA Monte Carlo event generators.