Charged Particle Multiplicity Research Articles

Production of pions, kaons, and protons as a function of the relative transverse activity classifier in pp collisions at sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

The production of π±, K±, and left(overline{textrm{p}}right)textrm{p} is measured in pp collisions at sqrt{s} = 13 TeV in different topological regions of the events. Particle transverse momentum (pT) spectra are measured in the “toward”, “transverse”, and “away” angular regions defined with respect to the direction of the leading particle in the event. While the toward and away regions contain the fragmentation products of the near-side and away-side jets, respectively, the transverse region is dominated by particles from the Underlying Event (UE). The relative transverse activity classifier, RT = NT/〈NT〉, is used to group events according to their UE activity, where NT is the measured charged-particle multiplicity per event in the transverse region and 〈NT〉 is the mean value over all the analysed events. The first measurements of identified particle pT spectra as a function of RT in the three topological regions are reported. It is found that the yield of high transverse momentum particles relative to the RT-integrated measurement decreases with increasing RT in both the toward and the away regions, indicating that the softer UE dominates particle production as RT increases and validating that RT can be used to control the magnitude of the UE. Conversely, the spectral shapes in the transverse region harden significantly with increasing RT. This hardening follows a mass ordering, being more significant for heavier particles. Finally, it is observed that the pT-differential particle ratios left(textrm{p}+overline{textrm{p}}right)/left({uppi}^{+}+{uppi}^{-}right) and (K+ + K−)/(π+ + π−) in the low UE limit (RT → 0) approach expectations from Monte Carlo generators such as PYTHIA 8 with Monash 2013 tune and EPOS LHC, where the jet-fragmentation models have been tuned to reproduce e+e− results.

Measurements of dielectron production in Au+Au collisions at sNN=27 , 39, and 62.4 GeV from the STAR experiment

We report systematic measurements of dielectron (e+e−) invariant-mass Mee spectra at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sNN = 27, 39, and 62.4 GeV taken with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. For all energies studied, a significant excess yield of dielectrons is observed in the low-mass region (0.40<Mee<0.75 MeV/c2) compared to hadronic cocktail simulations at freeze-out. Models that include an in-medium broadening of the ρ-meson spectral function consistently describe the observed excess. In addition, we report acceptance-corrected dielectron-excess spectra for Au+Au collisions at midrapidity (|yee|< 1) in the 0–80% centrality bin for each collision energy. The integrated excess yields for 0.4<Mee<0.75GeV/c2, normalized by the charged particle multiplicity at midrapidity, are compared with previously published measurements for Au+Au at sNN1 = 19.6 and 200 GeV. Models that include an in-medium broadening of the ρ-meson spectral function consistently describe the observed excess. The normalized excess yields in the low-mass region show no significant collision energy dependence. The data, however, are consistent with model calculations that demonstrate a modest energy dependence.Received 27 February 2023Accepted 4 May 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.107.L061901©2023 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasParticle & resonance productionRelativistic heavy-ion collisionsNuclear Physics

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC.

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

Model study on Υ(nS) modification in small collision systems

Quarkonium production has been studied extensively in relativistic heavy-ion collision experiments to understand the properties of the quark-gluon plasma. The experimental results on the yield modification in heavy-ion collisions relative to that in $p+p$ collisions can be described by several models considering dissociation and regeneration effects. A yield modification beyond initial-state effects has also been observed in small collision systems such as $p+\mathrm{Au}$ and $p+\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions, but it is still premature to claim any hot medium effect. A model study in various small collision systems such as $p+p$, $p+\mathrm{Pb}$, $p+\mathrm{O}$, and $\mathrm{O}+\mathrm{O}$ collisions will help quantitatively the understanding of nuclear effects on the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(nS)$ production. A theoretical calculation considering the gluo-dissociation and inelastic parton scattering for dissociation, and their inverse reaction for regeneration, reasonably describes the modification of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(1S)$ in $\mathrm{Pb}+\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions. Based on this calculation, a Monte Carlo simulation considering the dissociation effect is developed to more realistically incorporate the medium produced in heavy-ion collisions with event-by-event initial collision geometry and hydrodynamic evolution. We extend this framework to small systems to study the medium effects. In this work, we quantify the nuclear modification factor of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(nS)$ as a function of charged particle multiplicity ($d{N}_{ch}/d\ensuremath{\eta}$) and transverse momentum. We also calculate the elliptic flow of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(nS)$ in small collision systems.

Light-nuclei production in pp and pA collisions in the baryon canonical ensemble approach

The increase in yields of light nuclei with charged particle multiplicity, as reported by the ALICE collaboration at CERN in p-p and p-Pb collisions at the LHC energy is investigated in the thermal hadron resonance gas model. The model is extended to account for exact baryon number conservation. The focus is on the production of protons, deuterons, $^3$He, and $^3_\Lambda$H. A very good description of proton and deuteron yields is obtained as a function of charged particle multiplicity in the mid-rapidity region using the same fixed temperature as in central Pb-Pb collisions. The yields of light nuclei $^3$He and $^3_\Lambda$H though qualitatively explained as a function of multiplicity, are lower than the model expectation. One of the possible reasons could be that for $^{3}$He and $^{3}_{\Lambda}$H, the chemical equilibrium is not yet reached at small multiplicities.

Tandem aerodynamic aerosol classifier – differential mobility analyzer as a single charged aerosol source for diameters up to one micrometer

This work describes a method to generate monodisperse, spherical, single-charged aerosols for instrument calibration in the size range of 32 – 1000 nm using an aerodynamic aerosol classifier (AAC) and differential mobility analyzer (DMA) in series. The AAC is used to input a monodisperse aerosol into the DMA to reduce the fraction of larger multiple charged particles exiting the DMA. The method produces test aerosols over a wide size range with less than 1% multiple charging and in concentrations between 4,000 – 10,000 particles/cm3 at more than 2 liters/minute flow rate, sufficient to be measured with the aerosol electrometer and condensation particle counter (CPC). At diameters between 32 nm and 1000 nm, the multiple charging was less than 0.1%. Operating parameters for the AAC and DMA are provided, along with CPC detection efficiencies up to 1000 nm measured with traceability to the international system of units. Use of the AAC allows for calibrations to be performed over almost the full particle diameter range of the DMA with an easily reproduced experimental setup using commercially available equipment.

Unveiling the effects of multiple soft partonic interactions in pp collisions at s=13.6 TeV using a new event classifier

Event classifiers based either on the charged-particle multiplicity or the event shape have been extensively used in proton-proton (pp) collisions by the ALICE collaboration at the LHC. The use of these tools became very instrumental since the observation of fluid-like behavior in high-multiplicity pp collisions. In particular, the study as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity registered in the forward V0 ALICE detector allowed for the discovery of strangeness enhancement in high-multiplicity pp collisions. However, one drawback of the multiplicity-based event classifiers is that requiring a high charged-particle multiplicity biases the sample towards hard processes like multi-jet final states. These biases make it difficult to perform jet-quenching searches in high-multiplicity pp collisions. In this context, the present paper explores the use of the new event classifier, flattenicity; which uses the multiplicity calculated in the forward pseudorapidity region. To illustrate how this tool works, pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13.6$ TeV simulated with PYTHIA~8 are explored. The sensitivity of flattencity to multi-partonic interactions as well as to the ``hardness'' of the collision are discussed. PYTHIA 8 predictions for the transverse momentum spectra of light- and heavy-flavored hadrons as a function of flattenicity are presented.

Jet Dependence of Multiplicity of Charged Particles Produced in pp, pPb and dAu Collisions at high Energy

Jet Dependence of Multiplicity of Charged Particles Produced in pp, pPb and dAu Collisions at high Energy

Study of Isothermal Compressibility and Speed of Sound in the Hadronic Matter Formed in Heavy-Ion Collision Using Unified Formalism

The thermodynamical quantities and response functions are useful to describe the particle production in heavy-ion collisions as they reveal crucial information about the produced system. While the study of isothermal compressibility provides an inference about the viscosity of the medium, speed of sound helps in understanding the equation of state. With an aim towards understanding the system produced in the heavy-ion collision, we have made an attempt to study isothermal compressibility and speed of sound as function of charged particle multiplicity in heavy-ion collisions at sNN = 2.76 TeV, 5.02 TeV, and 5.44 TeV using unified formalism.

Two-particle angular correlations in e+e− collisions to hadronic final states in two reference coordinates at Belle

We present the analysis of two-particle angular correlations using coordinate systems defined with the conventional beam axis and the event thrust axis. We propose the latter as a good representation for the correlation structure interpretation in the e+e− collision system. The e+e− collisions to hadronic final states at center-of-mass energies of sqrt{s} = 10.52 GeV and 10.58 GeV are recorded by the Belle detector at KEKB. In this paper, results on the first dataset are supplementary to the previous Belle publication [1]. At the same time, the latter is the first two-particle correlation measurement at collision energy on the Υ(4S) resonance and is sensitive to its decay products. Measurements are reported as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity. Finally, a qualitative understanding of the correlation structure is discussed using a combination of Monte Carlo simulations and experimental data.

Experimental verification of two types of gluon jets in QCD

The Abelian decomposition of QCD tells that there are two types of gluons, the color neutral neurons and colored chromons. We propose to confirm the Abelian decomposition testing the existence of two types of gluon jets experimentally. We predict that one quarter of the gluon jet is made of the neurons which has the color factor $3/4$ and the sharpest jet radius and smallest charged particle multiplicity, while the three quarters of the gluon jet are made of the chromons with the color factor $9/4$, which have the broadest jet radius (broader than the quark jet). Moreover, we argue that the neuron jet has a distinct color flow which forms an ideal color dipole, while the quark and chromon jets have distorted dipole pattern. To test the plausibility of this proposal, we suggest to analyze the gluon distribution against the jet shape (the sphericity) and/or particle multiplicity from the existing gluon jet events and look for two distinct peaks in the distribution.

Particle Production as a Function of Underlying-event Activity and Search for Jet-like Modifications in \(pp\), \(p\)–Pb, and Pb–Pb Collisions at \(\sqrt {s_{NN}}=5.02\)\thinspace TeV with ALICE

The similarity between small- and large-collision systems is explored using the charged-particle multiplicity in the transverse region, $N^{\rm T}_{\rm ch}$, which is sensitive to the underlying event. Measurements of charged-particle production as a function of $N^{\rm T}_{\rm ch}$ in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV in the toward, away and transverse regions are discussed. These three regions are defined relative to the track with the largest transverse momentum in the event ($p_{\rm T}^{\rm trig}$). The activity in the transverse region is subtracted from the activity in the toward and the away regions to search for jet-like modifications in small-collision systems. The jet-like signals are studied both as a function of $N^{\rm T}_{\rm ch}$ and $p_{\rm T}^{\rm trig}$. Results are compared with two general purpose Monte Carlo event generators: PYTHIA~8 and EPOS~LHC.

Quarkonium production and elliptic flow in small systems measured with ALICE

Abstract. Quarkonium production in hadronic collisions provides a unique testing ground for understanding quantum chromodynamics (QCD) since it involves both perturbative and non-perturbative regimes of this theory. A variety of experimental observables, such as the production cross-section, polarization, particle correlations, serve as insights into the phenomenology of the quarkonium production and help constrain the theoretical models. Measurements of quarkonia as a function of multiplicity probe multiple parton interactions (MPI), i.e., several parton-parton interactions occurring in a single hadron-hadron collision. Finally, measurements of the azimuthal correlation structure of emitted particles in high multiplicity pp collisions can probe the existence of collective behaviour in small systems. The ALICE detector can reconstruct inclusive quarkonia over a broad kinematical range, spanning from mid-rapidity up to forward rapidity, and down to zero transverse momentum. In addition, at midrapidity, the non-prompt charmonium contribution can be separated from the prompt contribution. In these proceedings, we present new results on the inclusive, prompt and non-prompt J/ψ production cross sections measured by ALICE in pp collisions at different collision energies. The self-normalized ψ(2S)-to-J/ψ yield ratio measurement is investigated as a function of the charged particle multiplicity in pp collisions at √S = 13. TeV. Finally, the first measurement of the J/ψ elliptic flow (v2) in high multiplicity pp collisions at √S = 13. TeV is presented. Results will be compared to theoretical models.

Analysis of the Charged-particle Multiplicity Density in Centrality from Track Lets

This paper shows the relationship between charged hadron diversity and centrality in hadron Pb-Pb collisions at a certain collision energy(2.76 TeV) per nucleon pair. It is found that the centrality from 70–80% to 0–5%, each normalized charged particle density of participating nucleon pair increases by about twice. The collision of particles in the experiment was simulated by ALICE, a detector dedicating heavy-ion physics at the Large Hadron Collider. This work compares the data sample with models based on different mechanisms for particle production in nuclear collisions. And the error analysis of data in the end of this passage ensures the correctness of the experiment.

Centrality dependence of proton and light nuclei yields as a consequence of baryon annihilation in the hadronic phase

The centrality dependence of the p/π ratio measured by the ALICE Collaboration in 5.02 TeV Pb-Pb collisions indicates a statistically significant suppression with the increase of the charged particle multiplicity once the centrality-correlated part of the systematic uncertainty is eliminated from the data. We argue that this behavior can be attributed to baryon annihilation in the hadronic phase. By implementing the BB¯↔5π reaction within a generalized partial chemical equilibrium framework, we estimate the annihilation freeze-out temperature at different centralities, which decreases with increasing charged particle multiplicity and yields Tann=132±5 MeV in 0-5% most central collisions. This value is considerably below the hadronization temperature of Thad∼160 MeV but above the thermal (kinetic) freeze-out temperature of Tkin∼100 MeV. Baryon annihilation reactions thus remain relevant in the initial stage of the hadronic phase but freeze out before (pseudo-)elastic hadronic scatterings. One experimentally testable consequence of this picture is a suppression of various light nuclei to proton ratios in central collisions of heavy ions.

Monte Carlo simulations of Upsilon meson production in p + p at = 500 GeV

Quarkonium production in proton-proton collisions serves as an essential baseline for studying the effect of quarkonium suppression in proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. This paper presents the main characteristics of Upsilon mesons production in proton-proton collisions at studied with two Monte Carlo event generators: Pythia and Herwig and the results compared. Main aim of these simulations is to explore the dependence of normalised Upsilon meson yield on normalised event multiplicity and the influence of the feed-down effect on Upsilon meson production. The simulations show that the normalised Upsilon yield rises stronger than linear with regards to the normalised charged particle multiplicity. A mass ordering is found for Upsilons originating from feed-down and it suggests that the observed strong increase depends on the scale of the original hard process producing the quarkonium state.

Strangeness Production from Proton–Proton Collisions at Different Energies by Using Monte Carlo Simulation

Nuclear matter, at sufficiently energy density and high temperature, undergoes a transition to a state of strongly interacting QCD matter in which quarks and gluons are not confined known as the Quark–Gluon Plasma (QGP). QGP is usually produced in high-energy collisions of heavy nuclei in the laboratory, where an enhancement of strange hadrons’ production is observed. Many of the effects which are typical of heavy ion phenomenology have been observed in high-multiplicity proton–proton (pp) collisions. The enhancement of strange particles’ production in pp collisions was reported at s=7 TeV and s=13 TeV in 2017 and 2020, respectively, and it was found that the integrated yields of strange particles, relative to pions, increase notably with the charged-particle multiplicity of events. Here, we report the multiplicity dependence of strange particles at |y|&lt;0.5 in pp collisions at s = 7 TeV, 13 TeV, 20 TeV, and 27 TeV from a Monte Carlo simulation using PYTHIA8, EPOS-LHC, and Herwig7.

Search for Lepton Number and Flavour Violation in K+ and π0 Decays

The NA62 experiment at CERN collected a large sample of charged kaon decays into final states with multiple charged particles in Run 1 from 2016 to 2018. This sample provides sensitivities to rare decays with branching fractions as low as 10−11. Results of searches for the lepton number and/or flavour violating decays K+→π±μ∓e+ and π0→μ−e+ are reported. No evidence of these decays is found, and upper limits on the branching fractions are obtained at 90% confidence level: B(K+→π−μ+e+)<4.2×10−11, B(K+→π+μ−e+)<6.6×10−11, and B(π0→μ−e+)<3.2×10−10. These results improve by approximately one order of magnitude over previous results for these decay modes.

Collective expansion in pp collisions using the Tsallis statistics

We investigate the transverse momentum (p T) spectra of identified hadrons in minimum-bias proton–proton (pp) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 0.9, 2.76, 5.02, 7 and 13 TeV in the framework of Tsallis-blast wave (TBW) model. It is found that the model describes well the particle spectra up to 10 GeV/c. The radial flow (⟨β⟩) increases with the collision energy. The degrees of non-equilibrium (q) and the Tsallis temperature parameter (T) show a similar behaviour, but with a much weaker trend. With this dependence of the freeze-out parameters on the collision energy, we evaluate ⟨β⟩, T and q in pp collisions at 8 and 14 TeV and predict the particle spectra at these two energies. Moreover, in order to investigate the multiplicity dependence of the freeze-out parameters, the TBW model is extended to the spectra at different charged-particle multiplicity classes in pp collisions at 7 and 13 TeV. It is observed that at both energies the radial flow increases with the multiplicity while the degree of non-equilibrium shows an opposite behaviour, which is similar to that observed in proton–nucleus (pA) and nucleus–nucleus (AA) collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies. However, the Tsallis temperature parameter increases with the multiplicity, which is opposite to the trend in pA and AA collisions. At similar multiplicities, the radial flow in pp collisions is stronger than those in pA and AA collisions, indicating that the size of the colliding system has significant effects on the final state particle dynamics. Finally, we apply an additional flow correction to the Tsallis temperature parameter and find that the Doppler-corrected temperature parameter almost scales with the multiplicity in a uniform way, despite the difference in the colliding system and collision energy.

System size and flavour dependence of chemical freeze-out temperatures in ALICE data from pp, pPb and PbPb collisions at LHC energies

We present the system size and flavour dependence of the chemical freeze-out temperature (Tch) at vanishing baryo-chemical potential calculated via thermal fits to experimental yields for several multiplicity classes in pp, pPb and PbPb collisions measured by ALICE. Using the Thermal-FIST Hadron Resonance Gas model package, we compare the quality of fits across various treatments of strangeness conservation under different freeze-out conditions as a function of the charged particle multiplicity density 〈dNch/dη〉. Additionally, we examine how the anti-hadron to pion yield ratios of light and strange baryons, as well as the ϕ meson, evolve within a flavour-dependent model. Through a unique two-temperature chemical freeze-out approach, we show that flavour dependence of Tch in a Strangeness Canonical Ensemble leads to a natural explanation of strangeness enhancement from small to large systems at LHC energies without requiring any non-equilibrium particle production at small 〈dNch/dη〉.