Measurement of prompt D-meson production in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV

Abstract

The $p_{\mathrm{T}}$-differential production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons $D^0$, $D^{+}$, $D^{\ast +}$ and $D_{\mathrm{s}}^{+}$ and their charge conjugate in the rapidity interval $-0.96<y_{\mathrm{cms}}<0.04$ were measured in p-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The nuclear modification factor $R_{\mathrm{pPb}}$, quantifying the D-meson yield in p-Pb collisions relative to the yield in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, is compatible within the 15-20% uncertainties with unity in the transverse momentum interval $1<p_{\mathrm{T}}<24$ GeV/$c$. No significant difference among the $R_{\mathrm{pPb}}$ of the four D-meson species is observed. The results are described within uncertainties by theoretical calculations that include initial-state effects. The measurement adds experimental evidence that the modification of the momentum spectrum of D mesons observed in Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions is due to strong final-state effects induced by hot partonic matter.

15 pages, 4 captioned figures, authors from page 10, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/1525

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• Event-shape engineering and heavy-flavour observables in relativistic heavy-ion collisions
• Medium effects on heavy-flavour observables in high-energy nuclear collisions
• Heavy flavour in high-energy nuclear collisions: theory overview of transport calculations