We report on the measurement of two-pion correlation functions from pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=900$ GeV performed by the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Our analysis shows an increase of the HBT radius with increasing event multiplicity, in line with other measurements done in particle- and nuclear collisions. Conversely, the strong decrease of the radius with increasing transverse momentum, as observed at RHIC and at Tevatron, is not manifest in our data.
Correlations between pions produced in pp collisions at 69 GeV/c are observed both for π−π+ and π−π−. Short-range correlations in rapidity are present fory1⋍y2 in both cases; an enhancement is seen aroundy1=y2=±1. Correlations between transverse variables are linked to those in rapidity for π−π− combinations, whereas the effect is essentially kinematical for π+π−.
We measured the cross sections of hadron pair production (π, K, p) with symmetric momenta produced back-to-back in the c.m.s. in pp collisions in the range 0.45 ⩽ P T ⩽ 1.99 GeV/ c . Particle correlations showing dependence on quantum numbers and transverse momentum are presented. The data are discussed in the framework of parton models.
In pp collisions at √ s = 44.7 and 62.3 GeV, where each proton fragments into at least one low- p T, high- x meson or baryon, no correlations between the particle momenta are found for ππ , π K, KK, and p π pairs. The ππ data show a preference for the formation of electrically neutral ππ systems. The KK data show the influence of strangeness conservation. For pp and pΛ final states, the momentum dependence of the correlation ratio R can be described by the scaling variable z = (1 − x 1 )(1 − x 2 ). Small deviations from factorization are discussed.
The invariant cross-section slope of the pp→ π + π − +X process as a function of p T is found to have a break near 1 GeV/ c . Fitting the cross section by a sum of two exponents gives the values of powers (12.3±0.9)(GeV/ c ) −1 and (8.7±0.6)(GeV/ c ) −1 . The experimental points at p T ⩾1 GeV/ c are significantly higher than predictions based on hard scattering models such as QCD and CIM.
Forum