The production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D$^0$, D$^+$, D$^{*+}$ and D$_s$ were measured at mid-rapidity in p-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D$^0\rightarrow{\rm K}^-\pi^+$, D$^+\rightarrow{\rm K}^-\pi^+\pi^+$, D$^{*+}\rightarrow D^0\pi^+$, D$_s^+\rightarrow\phi\pi^+\rightarrow{\rm K}^-{\rm K}^+\pi^+$, and their charge conjugates. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections were measured at mid-rapidity in the interval $1<p_{\rm T}<24$ GeV/$c$ for D$^0$, D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$ mesons and in $2<p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$ for D$_s$ mesons, using an analysis method based on the selection of decay topologies displaced from the interaction vertex. The production cross sections of the D$^0$, D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$ mesons were also measured in three $p_{\rm T}$ intervals as a function of the rapidity $y_{\rm cms}$ in the centre-of-mass system in $-1.26<y_{\rm cms}<0.34$. In addition, the prompt D$^0$ cross section was measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV down to $p_{\rm T}=0$ using an analysis technique that is based on the estimation and subtraction of the combinatorial background, without reconstruction of the D$^0$ decay vertex. The nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm pPb}(p_{\rm T})$, defined as the ratio of the $p_{\rm T}$-differential D-meson cross section in p-Pb collisions and that in pp collisions scaled by the mass number of the Pb nucleus, was calculated for the four D-meson species and found to be compatible with unity within experimental uncertainties. The results are compared to theoretical calculations that include cold-nuclear-matter effects and to transport model calculations incorporating the interactions of charm quarks with an expanding deconfined medium.
The invariant differential cross section of inclusive $\omega(782)$ meson production at midrapidity ($|y|<0.5$) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV was measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC over a transverse momentum range of 2 < $p_{\rm{T}}$ < 17 GeV/$c$. The $\omega$ meson was reconstructed via its $\omega\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$ decay channel. The measured $\omega$ production cross section is compared to various calculations: PYTHIA 8.2 Monash 2013 describes the data, while PYTHIA 8.2 Tune 4C overestimates the data by about 50%. A recent NLO calculation, which includes a model describing the fragmentation of the whole vector-meson nonet, describes the data within uncertainties below 6 GeV/$c$, while it overestimates the data by up to 50% for higher $p_{\rm{T}}$. The $\omega/\pi^0$ ratio is in agreement with previous measurements at lower collision energies and the PYTHIA calculations. In addition, the measurement is compatible with transverse mass scaling within the measured $p_{\rm{T}}$ range and the ratio is constant with $C^{\omega/\pi^{0}}$ = 0.67 $\pm$ 0.03 (stat) $\pm$ 0.04 (sys) above a transverse momentum of 2.5 GeV/$c$.
The $p_{\rm T}$-differential inclusive production cross section of the prompt charm-strange meson $\rm D_s^+$ in the rapidity range $|y|<0.5$ was measured in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV at the LHC using the ALICE detector. The analysis was performed on a data sample of $2.98 \times 10^8$ events collected with a minimum-bias trigger. The corresponding integrated luminosity is $L_{\rm int}=4.8$/nb. Reconstructing the decay ${\rm D_s^{+}\to \phi\pi^+}$, with $\phi\to {\rm K}^-{\rm K}^+$, and its charge conjugate, about 480 ${\rm D_s^{\pm}}$ mesons were counted, after selection cuts, in the transverse momentum range $2<p_{\rm T}<12$ Gev/$c$. The results are compared with predictions from models based on perturbative QCD. The ratios of the cross sections of four D meson species (namely ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, ${\rm D^{*+}}$ and ${\rm D_s^+}$) were determined both as a function of $p_{\rm T}$ and integrated over $p_{\rm T}$ after extrapolating to full $p_{\rm T}$ range, together with the strangeness suppression factor in charm fragmentation. The obtained values are found to be compatible within uncertainties with those measured by other experiments in $\rm e^+e^-$, ep and pp interactions at various centre-of-mass energies.
In this paper measurements are presented of $\rm \pi$$^+$, $\rm \pi$$^-$, K$^+$, K$^-$, p and $\overline{\rm p}$ production at mid-rapidity < 0.5, in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV as a function of centrality. The measurement covers the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) range from 100, 200, 300 MeV/$c$ up to 3, 3, 4.6 GeV/$c$, for $\rm\pi$, K, and p respectively. The measured $p_{\rm T}$ distributions and yields are compared to expectations based on hydrodynamic, thermal and recombination models. The spectral shapes of central collisions show a stronger radial flow than measured at lower energies, which can be described in hydrodynamic models. In peripheral collisions, the $p_{\rm T}$ distributions are not well reproduced by hydrodynamic models. Ratios of integrated particle yields are found to be nearly independent of centrality. The yield of protons normalized to pions is a factor ~1.5 lower than the expectation from thermal models.
Measurements of cross sections of inelastic and diffractive processes in proton--proton collisions at LHC energies were carried out with the ALICE detector. The fractions of diffractive processes in inelastic collisions were determined from a study of gaps in charged particle pseudorapidity distributions: for single diffraction (diffractive mass $M_X < 200$ GeV/$c^2$) $\sigma_{\rm SD}/\sigma_{\rm INEL} = 0.21 \pm 0.03, 0.20^{+0.07}_{-0.08}$, and $0.20^{+0.04}_{-0.07}$, respectively at centre-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s} = 0.9, 2.76$, and 7~TeV; for double diffraction (for a pseudorapidity gap $\Delta\eta > 3$) $\sigma_{\rm DD}/\sigma_{\rm INEL} = 0.11 \pm 0.03, 0.12 \pm 0.05$, and $0.12^{+0.05}_{-0.04}$, respectively at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9, 2.76$, and 7~TeV. To measure the inelastic cross section, beam properties were determined with van der Meer scans, and, using a simulation of diffraction adjusted to data, the following values were obtained: $\sigma_{\rm INEL} = 62.8^{+2.4}_{-4.0} (model) \pm 1.2 (lumi)$ mb at $\sqrt{s} =$ 2.76~TeV and $73.2^{+2.0}_{-4.6} (model) \pm 2.6 (lumi)$ mb at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7~TeV. The single- and double-diffractive cross sections were calculated combining relative rates of diffraction with inelastic cross sections. The results are compared to previous measurements at proton--antiproton and proton--proton colliders at lower energies, to measurements by other experiments at the LHC, and to theoretical models.
The production yield of the $\Lambda(1520)$ baryon resonance is measured at mid-rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The measurement is performed in the $\Lambda(1520)\rightarrow {\rm pK}^{-}$ (and charge conjugate) hadronic decay channel as a function of the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and collision centrality. The $p_{\rm T}$-integrated production rate of $\Lambda(1520)$ relative to $\Lambda$ in central collisions is suppressed by about a factor of 2 with respect to peripheral collisions. This is the first observation of the suppression of a baryonic resonance at LHC and the first evidence of $\Lambda(1520)$ suppression in heavy-ion collisions. The measured $\Lambda(1520)/\Lambda$ ratio in central collisions is smaller than the value predicted by the statistical hadronisation model calculations. The shape of the measured $p_{\rm T}$ distribution and the centrality dependence of the suppression are reproduced by the EPOS3 Monte Carlo event generator. The measurement adds further support to the formation of a dense hadronic phase in the final stages of the evolution of the fireball created in heavy-ion collisions, lasting long enough to cause a significant reduction in the observable yield of short-lived resonances.
The first measurement of neutron emission in electromagnetic dissociation of $^{208}$Pb nuclei at the LHC is presented. The measurement is performed using the neutron Zero Degree Calorimeters of the ALICE experiment, which detect neutral particles close to beam rapidity. The measured cross sections of single and mutual electromagnetic dissociation of Pb nuclei at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV with neutron emission are $\sigma_{\rm single\ EMD} = 187.4\pm0.2$ (stat.) $^{+13.2} _{-11.2}$ (syst.) b and $\sigma_{\rm mutual\ EMD} = 5.7\pm0.1$ (stat.) $\pm$0.4 (syst.) b, respectively. The experimental results are compared to the predictions from a relativistic electromagnetic dissociation model.
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 measurement of the production of prompt D$^0$, D$^+$, D$^{*+}$, and D$^+_s$ mesons in proton$-$lead (p$-$Pb) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, with an integrated luminosity of $292\pm 11$ $\mu$b$^{-1}$, are reported. Differential production cross sections are measured at mid-rapidity ($-0.96<y_{\rm cms}<0.04$) as a function of transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) in the intervals $0< p_{\rm T} < 36$ GeV/$c$ for D$^0$, $1< p_{\rm T} <36$ GeV/$c$ for D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$, and $2< p_{\rm T} <24$ GeV/$c$ for D$^+_s$ mesons. For each species, the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm pPb}$ is calculated as a function of $p_{\rm T}$ using a proton-proton (pp) reference measured at the same collision energy. The results are compatible with unity in the whole $p_{\rm T}$ range. The average of the non-strange D mesons $R_{\rm pPb}$ is compared with theoretical model predictions that include initial-state effects and parton transport model predictions. The $p_{\rm T}$ dependence of the D$^0$, D$^+$, and D$^{*+}$ nuclear modification factors is also reported in the interval $1< p_{\rm T} < 36$ GeV/$c$ as a function of the collision centrality, and the central-to-peripheral ratios are computed from the D-meson yields measured in different centrality classes. The results are further compared with charged-particle measurements and a similar trend is observed in all the centrality classes. The ratios of the $p_{\rm T}$-differential cross sections of D$^0$, D$^+$, D$^{*+}$, and D$^+_s$ mesons are also reported. The D$^+_s$ and D$^+$ yields are compared as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity for several $p_{\rm T}$ intervals. No modification in the relative abundances of the four species is observed with respect to pp collisions within the statistical and systematic uncertainties.
The measurements of the production of prompt ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, ${\rm D^{*+}}$, and ${{\rm D^+_s}}$ mesons in proton--proton (pp) collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are reported. D mesons were reconstructed at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.5$) via their hadronic decay channels ${\rm D}^0 \to {\rm K}^-\pi^+$, ${\rm D}^+\to {\rm K}^-\pi^+\pi^+$, ${\rm D}^{*+} \to {\rm D}^0 \pi^+ \to {\rm K}^- \pi^+ \pi^+$, ${\rm D^{+}_{s}\to \phi\pi^+\to K^{+} K^{-} \pi^{+}}$, and their charge conjugates. The production cross sections were measured in the transverse momentum interval $0<p_{\rm T}<36~\mathrm{GeV}/c$ for ${\rm D^0}$, $1<p_{\rm T}<36~\mathrm{GeV}/c$ for ${\rm D^+}$ and ${\rm D^{*+}}$, and in $2<p_{\rm T}<24~\mathrm{GeV}/c$ for ${{\rm D^+_s}}$ mesons. Thanks to the higher integrated luminosity, an analysis in finer $p_{\rm T}$ bins with respect to the previous measurements at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV was performed, allowing for a more detailed description of the cross-section $p_{\rm T}$ shape. The measured $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections are compared to the results at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and to four different perturbative QCD calculations. Its rapidity dependence is also tested combining the ALICE and LHCb measurements in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV. This measurement will allow for a more accurate determination of the nuclear modification factor in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions performed at the same nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy.