Measurement of Prompt D -Meson Production in p -Pb Collisions at √{sN N }=5.02 TeV
Abstract
The pT-differential production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D0 , D+, D*+, and Ds+ and their charge conjugate in the rapidity interval -0.96 <ycms<0.04 were measured in p -Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy √{sN N }=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The nuclear modification factor Rp Pb , quantifying the D -meson yield in p -Pb collisions relative to the yield in p p collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, is compatible within the 15%-20% uncertainties with unity in the transverse momentum interval 1 <pT<24 GeV /c . No significant difference among the Rp Pb of the four D -meson species is observed. The results are described within uncertainties by theoretical calculations that include initial-state effects. The measurement adds experimental evidence that the modification of the momentum spectrum of D mesons observed in Pb-Pb collisions with respect to p p collisions is due to strong final-state effects induced by hot partonic matter.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- December 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.232301
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1405.3452
- Bibcode:
- 2014PhRvL.113w2301A
- Keywords:
-
- 25.75.-q;
- 25.75.Dw;
- 24.10.Nz;
- 25.75.Ag;
- Relativistic heavy-ion collisions;
- Particle and resonance production;
- Hydrodynamic models;
- Global features in relativistic heavy ion collisions;
- Nuclear Experiment;
- High Energy Physics - Experiment
- E-Print:
- 15 pages, 4 captioned figures, authors from page 10, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/1525