Measurement of the Nuclear Modification Factor and Prompt Charged Particle Production in p-Pb and pp Collisions at √sNN =5 TeV

Authors:Aaij, R.; Beteta, C. Abellan; Ackernley, T.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Afsharnia, H.; Aidala, C. A.; Aiola, S.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Akar, S.; Albrecht, J.; Alessio, F.; Alexander, M.; Alfonso Albero, A.; Aliouche, Z.; Alkhazov, G.; Cartelle, P. Alvarez; Amato, S.; Amey, J. L.; Amhis, Y.; An, L.; Anderlini, L.; Andreianov, A.; Andreotti, M.; Archilli, F.; Artamonov, A.; Artuso, M.; Arzymatov, K.; Aslanides, E.; Atzeni, M.; Audurier, B.; Bachmann, S.; Bachmayer, M.; Back, J. J.; Baladron Rodriguez, P.
Source:Physical Review Letters, 2022, 128(14): 142004.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.142004

Summary

The production of prompt charged particles in proton-lead collisions and in proton-proton collisions at the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy root s(NN) = 5 TeV is studied at LHCb as a function of pseudorapidity (eta) and transverse momentum (p(T) ) with respect to the proton beam direction. The nuclear modification factor for charged particles is determined as a function of eta between -4.8 < eta < -2.5 (backward region) and 2.0 < eta < 4.8 (forward region), and p(T) between 0.2 < p(T) < 8.0 GeV/c. The results show a suppression of charged particle production in proton-lead collisions relative to proton-proton collisions in the forward region and an enhancement in the backward region for p(T) larger than 1.5 GeV/c. This measurement constrains nuclear PDFs and saturation models at previously unexplored values of the parton momentum fraction down to 10(-6).

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