Measurement of jet pT spectra and RAA in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector

Abstract

Hard-scattered partons provide an ideal probe for the study of the Quark–Gluon Plasma because they are produced prior to the formation of the QCD medium in heavy-ion collisions. Jet production is therefore susceptible to modifications induced by the presence of the medium (“jet quenching”). Both RHIC and LHC experiments have provided compelling evidence of jet quenching. Jets are reconstructed in ALICE utilizing the central tracking system for the charged constituents and the Electromagnetic Calorimeter for the neutral constituents. Jet spectra are reported for central (0–10%) and semi-central (10–30%) Pb–Pb events at s NN = 2.76 TeV . The nuclear modification factor, determined using a pp baseline measured at the same collisional energy, shows a strong suppression of jet production in central Pb–Pb collisions with the expected centrality ordering. Observations are in qualitative agreement with medium-induced energy loss models. Furthermore, indication of a path-length dependence of jet suppression is inferred from measurements of the yields relative to the orientation of the event plane.