We propose a parametrization of the nuclear absorption mechanism relying on the proper time spent by $coverline{c}$ bound states travelling in nuclear matter. Our approach could lead to the extraction of charmonium formation time. It is based on a large amount of proton-nucleus data, from nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies $sqrt{s_{NN}}=27$ GeV to $sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.02$ TeV, collected in the past 30~years, and for which the main effect on charmonium production must be its absorption by the nuclear matter it crosses.
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