Centrality and rapidity dependence of inclusive jet production in sNN=5.02 TeV p+Pb collisions with the ATLAS detector

Abstract

Abstract Measurements of reconstructed jets in high-energy proton–nucleus collisions over a wide rapidity and transverse momentum range are a fundamental probe of the partonic structure of nuclei. Inclusive jet production is sensitive to the modification of parton distribution functions (PDF) in the high-density nuclear environment. Furthermore, any modification of jet production in p + A collisions has implications for understanding the strong suppression seen in central A + A collisions. The latest results on inclusive jet production in 29/nb of proton–lead collisions at 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are presented. The centrality of p + Pb events is characterized through the sum of the transverse energy in the Pb-going forward calorimeter. In minimum bias p + Pb collisions, the jet yields are seen to be consistent with calculations incorporating nuclear PDF effects. However, the jet yields in central and peripheral p + Pb collisions are found to be strongly suppressed and enhanced, respectively, relative to geometric expectations. Furthermore, the modifications at forward rapidities are seen to be consistent with a scaling in the total jet energy, suggesting that the modifications may depend on the initial kinematics of the hard parton–parton scattering.