Evidence of rescattering effect in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC through production of $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$ and $\phi(1020)$ mesons

The ALICE collaboration Acharya, Shreyasi ; Adamova, Dagmar ; Adler, Alexander ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 802 (2020) 135225, 2020.
Inspire Record 1762368 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.93150

Measurements of $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$ and $\phi(1020)$ resonance production in Pb-Pb and pp collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The resonances are measured at midrapidity ($|y|$ $<$ 0.5) via their hadronic decay channels and the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm{T}}$) distributions are obtained for various collision centrality classes up to $p_{\rm{T}}$ $=$ 20 GeV$/c$. The $p_{\rm{T}}$-integrated yield ratio $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$$/$K in Pb-Pb collisions shows significant suppression relative to pp collisions and decreases towards more central collisions. In contrast, the $\phi(1020)$$/$K ratio does not show any suppression. Furthermore, the measured $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$$/$K ratio in central Pb-Pb collisions is significantly suppressed with respect to the expectations based on a thermal model calculation, while the $\phi(1020)$$/$K ratio agrees with the model prediction. These measurements are an experimental demonstration of rescattering of $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$ decay products in the hadronic phase of the collisions. The $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$$/$K yield ratios in Pb-Pb and pp collisions are used to estimate the time duration between chemical and kinetic freeze-out, which is found to be $\sim$ 4-7 fm$/c$ for central collisions. The $p_{\rm{T}}$-differential ratios of $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$$/$K, $\phi(1020)$$/$K, $\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$$/\pi$, $\phi(1020)$$/\pi$, $p/$$\rm{K}^{*}(892)^{0}$ and $p/$$\phi(1020)$ are also presented for Pb-Pb and pp collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ $=$ 5.02 TeV. These ratios show that the rescattering effect is predominantly a low-$p_{\rm{T}}$ phenomenon.

20 data tables

$p_{\rm T}$-distributions of $\rm{K}^{*0}$ (average of particle and anti-particle) meson measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV.

$p_{\rm T}$-distributions of $\rm{K}^{*0}$ (average of particle and anti-particle) meson measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 TeV.

$p_{\rm T}$-distributions of $\phi$ meson measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV.

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Energy dependence of phi meson production in central Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s}_{NN}$ = 6 to 17 GeV

The NA49 collaboration Alt, C. ; Anticic, T. ; Baatar, B. ; et al.
Phys.Rev.C 78 (2008) 044907, 2008.
Inspire Record 787913 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.25063

Phi meson production is studied by the NA49 collaboration in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A, 30A, 40A, 80A and 158A GeV beam energy. The data are compared to measurements at lower and higher energies and to microscopic and thermal models. The energy dependence of yields and spectral distributions is compatible with the assumption that partonic degrees of freedom set in at low SPS energies.

20 data tables

PHI transverse momentum spectra at incident energy 20 GeV/nucleon integrated over the rapidity range 0 to 1.8.

PHI transverse momentum spectra at incident energy 30 GeV/nucleon integrated over the rapidity range 0 to 1.8.

PHI transverse momentum spectra at incident energy 40 GeV/nucleon integrated over the rapidity range 0 to 1.5.

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