This thesis presents the first measurement of charmed D0 meson production relative to the reaction plane in Pb–Pb collisions at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision of √sNN = 2.76 TeV. It also showcases the measurement of the D0 production in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement of the D0 azimuthal anisotropy with respect to the reaction plane indicates that low- momentum charm quarks participate in the collective expansion of the high-density, strongly interacting medium formed in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions, despite their large mass. This behavior can be explained by charm hadronization via recombination with light quarks from the medium and collisional energy loss. The measurement of the D0 production in p–Pb collisions is crucial to separate the effect induced by cold nuclear matter from the final- state effects induced by the hot medium formed in Pb–Pb collisions. The D0 production in p–Pb collisions is consistent with the binary collision scaling of the production in pp collisions, demonstrating that the modification of the momentum distribution observed in Pb–Pb collisions with respect to pp is predominantly induced by final-state effects such as the charm energy loss.
Erscheinungsdatum: 15.09.2016

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Measurement of the D0 meson production in Pb--Pb and p--Pb collisions : a study performed with the ALICE Experiment at the LHC : Doctoral thesis accepted by the University of Padua, Italy

Festanti, Andrea

Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Springer London, Limited

Springer Theses, Recognizing Outstanding Ph. D. Research, 1st ed. 2016, Switzerland, 2016

Springer Theses, Recognizing Outstanding Ph. D. Research, Cham, 2016

Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2016

Switzerland, Switzerland

Sep 08, 2016

3, 20160907

sm61452655

producers:
Acrobat Distiller 10.0.0 (Windows)

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Source title: Measurement of the D0 Meson Production in Pb–Pb and p–Pb Collisions: A Study Performed with the ALICE Experiment at the LHC (Springer Theses)

Supervisor’s Foreword 6
Abstract 8
Acknowledgements 10
Contents 11
Preamble 14
1 Introduction to the Physics of Ultra-Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions 17
1.1 Quantum Chromodynamics 17
1.2 Asymptotic Freedom and Confinement 19
1.2.1 Running Coupling Constant 20
1.3 Lattice QCD 21
1.4 The QCD Phase Diagram and the Quark-Gluon Plasma 22
1.5 Heavy-Ion Collisions and the QGP 27
1.5.1 Geometry of the Collision 28
1.5.2 Global Event Properties 31
1.5.3 Photon Spectrum 34
1.5.4 Hard Processes 35
References 37
2 Heavy-Flavour Probes in Heavy-Ion Collisions 39
2.1 Heavy-Flavour Production in pp Collisions 39
2.2 Heavy-Flavour Production in Pb--Pb and p--Pb Collisions 42
2.3 Heavy Quarks as QGP Probes 42
2.3.1 In-Medium Energy Loss 43
2.3.2 Azimuthal Anisotropy 52
2.4 Initial-State Effects and the Role of pA Collisions 56
2.5 Objective of the Thesis 61
References 62
3 The ALICE Experiment at the LHC 66
3.1 The LHC Accelerator 66
3.1.1 Acceleration Chain 66
3.1.2 pp, p--Pb and Pb--Pb Collisions 68
3.2 The ALICE Apparatus 70
3.2.1 General Detector Layout 70
3.2.2 ITS 73
3.2.3 TPC 74
3.2.4 TOF 74
3.3 Central-Barrel Tracking 75
3.3.1 Interaction Vertex Reconstruction with SPD 75
3.3.2 Track Reconstruction 75
3.3.3 Final Reconstruction of the Interaction Vertex 79
3.4 Particle Identification 80
3.4.1 PID in the TPC 80
3.4.2 PID in the TOF 81
3.5 Impact Parameter Resolution 83
References 85
4 Experimental Observables 86
4.1 Azimuthal Anisotropy of D0 Production in Pb--Pb Collisions 86
4.1.1 Event-Plane Definition 86
4.1.2 Elliptic Flow 88
4.1.3 RAA Azimuthal Dependence 89
4.2 D0 Production in p--Pb Collisions 90
4.2.1 Production Cross Section and RpPb 90
4.2.2 Nuclear Modification Factor in Classes of Event Activity: QpPb 91
4.2.3 Self-normalized Yields 92
4.3 Proton--Proton Reference 93
References 94
5 D0toK-π+ Decay Reconstruction 95
5.1 Data Samples 95
5.2 Event-Plane Determination in Pb--Pb Collisions 96
5.3 D0 Reconstruction and Selection 98
5.3.1 Secondary Vertex Reconstruction 98
5.3.2 Topological Selection Strategy 99
5.3.3 Particle Identification 102
5.4 Yield Extraction 103
5.4.1 Pb--Pb 103
5.4.2 p--Pb 104
5.5 Study of the ``Reflected'' Signal 114
5.6 Efficiency Corrections 119
5.7 Correction for Feed-Down from B Decays 127
References 130
6 Systematic Uncertainties 131
6.1 Yield Extraction 131
6.2 Cut Efficiency 135
6.3 PID Efficiency 138
6.4 Monte Carlo pT Shape 141
6.5 Monte Carlo Multiplicity Distribution 143
6.6 Tracking Efficiency 146
6.7 Feed-Down Correction 149
6.8 Proton--Proton Reference 151
6.9 Summary of Uncertainties on v2 152
6.10 Summary of Uncertainties on RAA In-and Out-of-Plane 153
6.11 Summary of Uncertainties on the Cross Section in p--Pb 154
6.12 Summary of Uncertainties on QpPb and Relative Yields 157
References 159
7 Azimuthal Anisotropy of D0 Production in Pb--Pb Collisions 160
7.1 Elliptic Flow 160
7.2 Comparison with Other Methods for v2 Measurement 163
7.3 RAA In and Out of the Event Plane 165
7.4 Comparison with Model Calculations 166
References 169
8 D0 Production in p--Pb Collisions 171
8.1 Production Cross Section 171
8.2 Nuclear Modification Factor RpPb 173
8.3 QpPb as a Function of Event Activity 175
8.4 Relative Yields as a Function of Multiplicity 177
References 179
9 Conclusions 180
Reference 182
Curriculum Vitae 183

Annotation This thesis presents the first measurement of charmed D0 meson production relative to the reaction plane in Pb Pb collisions at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision of sNN = 2.76 TeV. It also showcases the measurement of the D0 production in p Pb collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement of the D0 azimuthal anisotropy with respect to the reaction plane indicates that low- momentum charm quarks participate in the collective expansion of the high-density, strongly interacting medium formed in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions, despite their large mass. This behavior can be explained by charm hadronization via recombination with light quarks from the medium and collisional energy loss. The measurement of the D0 production in p Pb collisions is crucial to separate the effect induced by cold nuclear matter from the final- state effects induced by the hot medium formed in Pb Pb collisions. The D0 production in p Pb collisions is consistent with the binary collision scaling of the production in pp collisions, demonstrating that the modification of the momentum distribution observed in Pb Pb collisions with respect to pp is predominantly induced by final-state effects such as the charm energy loss."

Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Introduction to the Physics of Ultra-Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions....Pages 1-22
Heavy-Flavour Probes in Heavy-Ion Collisions....Pages 23-49
The ALICE Experiment at the LHC....Pages 51-70
Experimental Observables....Pages 71-79
\(\mathrm{{D}}^\mathbf {0}\rightarrow \mathrm{{K}}^\mathbf {-}{\pi }^\mathbf {+}\) Decay Reconstruction....Pages 81-116
Systematic Uncertainties....Pages 117-145
Azimuthal Anisotropy of D \({^0}\) Production in Pb–Pb Collisions....Pages 147-157
\(\mathrm{D}^0\) Production in p–Pb Collisions....Pages 159-167
Conclusions....Pages 169-171
Back Matter....Pages 173-174

2016-11-20