Light (hyper-)nuclei production at the LHC measured with ALICE

Abstract

The high collision energies reached at the LHC lead to significant production yields of light (hyper-)nuclei in proton–proton, proton–lead and, in particular, lead–lead collisions. The excellent particle identification capabilities of the ALICE apparatus, based on the specific energy loss in the Time Projection Chamber and the velocity information in the Time-Of-Flight detector, allow for the detection of these rarely produced particles. Results on the production of stable nuclei in p–Pb and Pb–Pb collisions are presented. Hypernuclei production rates in Pb–Pb interactions are also shown and upper limits for the production of lighter exotica candidates. All results are compared with predictions obtained using thermal (statistical) and coalescence models.