Direct photon production at mid-rapidity in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV was studied in the transverse momentum range 0.9 < pT < 14 GeV/c. Photons were detected with the highly segmented electromagnetic calorimeter PHOS and via conversions in the ALICE detector material with the e+e− pair reconstructed in the central tracking system. The results of the two methods were combined and direct photon spectra were measured for the 0–20%, 20–40%, and 40–80% centrality classes. For all three classes, agreement was found with perturbative QCD calculations for pT 5 GeV/c. Direct photon spectra down to pT ≈ 1 GeV/c could be extracted for the 20–40% and 0–20% centrality classes. The significance of the direct photon signal for 0.9 < pT < 2.1 GeV/c is 2.6σ for the 0–20% class. The spectrum in this pT range and centrality class can be described by an exponential with an inverse slope parameter of (297 ± 12stat ± 41syst ) MeV. State-of-the-art models for photon production in heavy-ion collisions agree with the data within uncertainties.

Direct photon production in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV

LEA, RAMONA;RUI, RINALDO;
2016-01-01

Abstract

Direct photon production at mid-rapidity in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV was studied in the transverse momentum range 0.9 < pT < 14 GeV/c. Photons were detected with the highly segmented electromagnetic calorimeter PHOS and via conversions in the ALICE detector material with the e+e− pair reconstructed in the central tracking system. The results of the two methods were combined and direct photon spectra were measured for the 0–20%, 20–40%, and 40–80% centrality classes. For all three classes, agreement was found with perturbative QCD calculations for pT 5 GeV/c. Direct photon spectra down to pT ≈ 1 GeV/c could be extracted for the 20–40% and 0–20% centrality classes. The significance of the direct photon signal for 0.9 < pT < 2.1 GeV/c is 2.6σ for the 0–20% class. The spectrum in this pT range and centrality class can be described by an exponential with an inverse slope parameter of (297 ± 12stat ± 41syst ) MeV. State-of-the-art models for photon production in heavy-ion collisions agree with the data within uncertainties.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
1-s2.0-S0370269316000320-main.pdf

solo utenti autorizzati

Dimensione 2.19 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
2.19 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11379/537512
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 214
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 175
social impact