No Arabic abstract
We compare the flow-like correlations in high multiplicity proton-nucleus ($p+A$) and nucleus-nucleus ($A+A$) collisions. At fixed multiplicity, the correlations in these two colliding systems are strikingly similar, although the system size is smaller in $p+A$. Based on an independent cluster model and a simple conformal scaling argument, where the ratio of the mean free path to the system size stays constant at fixed multiplicity, we argue that flow in $p+A$ emerges as a collective response to the fluctuations in the position of clusters, just like in $A+A$ collisions. With several physically motivated and parameter free rescalings of the recent LHC data, we show that this simple model captures the essential physics of elliptic and triangular flow in $p+A$ collisions. We also explore the implications of the model for jet energy loss in $p+A$, and predict slightly larger transverse momentum broadening in $p+A$ than in $A+A$ at the same multiplicity.
Photoproduction of heavy quarks and exclusive production of vector mesons in ultraperipheral proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions depend significantly on nuclear gluon distributions. In the present study we investigate quantitatively the extent of the applicability of these processes at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in constraining the shadowing component of nuclear gluon modifications.
There is little doubt that in heavy ion collisions at the LHC and RHIC, we observe a hydrodynamically expanding system, providing strong evidence for the formation of a Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) in the early stage of such collisions. These observations are mainly based on results on azimuthal anisotropies, but also on particle spectra of identified particles, perfectly compatible with a hydrodynamic evolution. Surprisingly, in p-Pb collisions one observes a very similar behavior, and to some extent even in p-p. We take these experimental observations as a strong support for a unified approach to describe proton-proton (p-p), proton-nucleus (p-A), and nucleus-nucleus (A-A) collisions, with a plasma formation even in tiny systems as in p-p scatterings.
The ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is optimized for recording events in the very large particle multiplicity environment of heavy-ion collisions at LHC energies. The ALICE collaboration has taken data in Pb-Pb collisions in Run I and Run II at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies $sqrt{s_{text{NN}}}$ = 2.76 and mbox{5.02 TeV}, respectively, and in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies $sqrt{s}$ = 0.9, 2.76, 5.02, 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The asymmetric system p-Pb was measured at a center-of-mass energy $sqrt{s_{text{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV. Selected physics results from the analysis of these data are presented, and an outline of the ALICE prospects for Run III is given.
Using the CGC formalism, we calculate the two-gluon rapidity correlations of strong colour fields in $pp$, $pA$ and $AA$ collisions, respectively. If one trigger gluon is fixed at central rapidity, a ridge-like correlation pattern is obtained in symmetry $pp$ and $AA$ collisions, and a huge bump-like correlation pattern is presented in asymmetry $pA$ collisions. It is demonstrated that the ridge-like correlation patterns are caused by the stronger correlation with the gluon of colour source. The transverse momentum and incident energy dependence of the ridge-like correlation pattern is also systematically studied. The ridge is more likely observed at higher incident energy and lower transverse momentum of trigger gluon.
The enhanced suppression of $J/psi$ production at large $x_F$ in $pA$ collisions is studied in the framework of gluon depletion at large $x_1$. The nonperturbative process that modifies the gluon distribution as the gluons propagate in nuclear matter is described by an evolution equation with a kernal to be determined by phenomenology. With nuclear shadowing and anti-shadowing taken into account, the effect on the gluon distribution is shown to be a depletion in excess of 40% at $x_1 approx 0.8$ for $A > 100$. There is a small amount of enhancement of the gluon distribution at small $x_1$, but it does not lead to any contradiction with the existing data on $J/psi$ suppression in the central region. Extentions to $psi^{prime}$ suppression and $AB$ collisions are also investigated in the framework of gluon redistribution.