Event-by-event mean pT fluctuations in pp and Pb–Pb collisions measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC

Abstract

Non-statistical event-by-event fluctuations of the mean transverse momentum of charged particles in pp and Pb–Pb collisions are studied using the ALICE experiment at the LHC. Little collision energy dependence is observed in pp. The data indicate a common scaling behaviour with event multiplicity from pp to semi-central Pb–Pb collisions. In central Pb–Pb, the results deviate from this trend, exhibiting a significant reduction of the fluctuation strength. The results are compared with measurements in Au–Au collisions at lower energies and with Monte Carlo simulations.