Transverse momentum dependence of $\hat{I}\text{c◯}/\ddot{I}•$ ratio in high energy collisions

Abstract

We apply a constituent quark equal-velocity combination model to study the $p_T$ dependence of $\hat{I}\text{c◯}/\ddot{I}•$ ratio in $pp$, $p$-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies. We demonstrate that the relative change rate of the $\hat{I}\text{c◯}/\ddot{I}•$ ratio is dominated by a discrete curvature property of $p_T$ spectrum of strange quarks just before hadronization. Using experimental data of $\ddot{I}•$ mesons after a quark number scaling operation, we extract $p_T$ spectrum of strange quarks just before hadronization and study its curvature property in high and low multiplicity events in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$ 7, 13 TeV, $p$-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$= 5.02 TeV and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$= 2.76 TeV. We apply these curvature properties of $p_T$ spectra of strange quarks to explain the observed $p_T$ dependence of $\hat{I}\text{c◯}/\ddot{I}•$ ratio in those collisions. We discuss the possible origin of the change of curvature property for $p_T$ spectra of strange quarks just before hadronization by considering the influence of strong collective flow formed in partonic stage evolution in collisions at LHC energies.

8 pages, 6 figures