10 pages, 10 figures, EPIC@LHC - International Workshop on Early Physics with Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC; Published by American Institute of Physics (AIP) in the Conference Proceedings Series (2011)
An overview is presented of the recent heavy ion results from the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. These new results are placed in perspective with those from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider experiments.
An overview of the recent results obtained by the ALICE Collaboration from the analysis of the pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb data samples collected during LHC run I and the first half of run II is presented.
A selection of recent ALICE results from pp, p--Pb, Pb--Pb and Xe--Xe collisions taken during the Run 1 and Run 2 phases are summarized in this contribution, and the prospects for the upcoming Run 3 phase are outlined.
We overview recent jet measurements in pp and Pb-Pb collisions with the ALICE detector. ALICE reconstructs jets at midrapidity using the anti-$k_{\mathrm{T}}$ algorithm, including both charged particle jets from the ALICE tracking detectors, and full jets from the combination of the ALICE electromagnetic calorimeter with the tracking system. We focus on inclusive and semi-inclusive jet measurements as well as jet substructure measurements, including a variety of groomed and ungroomed observables. In pp collisions, these results test pQCD techniques at $p_{\mathrm{T,\;jet}}<140$ GeV$/c$ in a lo…
One of the key methods used in the study of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) is femtoscopy, the technique of measuring short-range two-particle correlations as a function of relative momentum. Traditionally, femtoscopy has been utilized to measure the size of the QGP fireball created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. However, since it is sensitive to the correlations between the particles in the final state, it has been shown recently that the parameters of the strong interaction can be probed as well. This review includes a broad range of ALICE femtoscopy results, including both traditional a…
ALICE is devoted to the study of the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). This state of matter is created in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. Heavy quarks are considered effective probes of the QGP since, due to their large masses, they are produced in hard scattering processes and experience the full evolution of the hot and dense medium while interacting with its constituents. The heavy-quark measurements provide insights on processes like in-medium energy loss and hadronization. Measurements in proton-proton collisions provide the baseline for interpreting heavy-io…
Recent results from the ALICE experiment are presented with a particular emphasis on particle identification, the nuclear modification factor ($R_{AA}$) and azimuthal anisotropy ($v_2$). Comparison of lead-lead and proton-lead results reveals evidence of collectivity in small systems.
Heavy-flavour hadrons, i.e. hadrons containing charm or beauty quarks, are effective probes to test perturbative-QCD (pQCD) calculations, to investigate the different hadronisation mechanisms, and to study the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. Measurements performed in pp and p-Pb collisions have recently revealed unexpected features not in line with the expectations based on previous measurements from $\rm{e^+e^-}$ and ep collisions, showing that charm fragmentation fractions are not universal. The investigation of initial-state effects such as…
ALICE is a general purpose experiment designed to investigate nucleus-nucleus collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located at CERN. The ALICE detector is optimized for the reconstruction of quarkonia through the dimuon decay channel at foward rapidity as well as the dielectron decay channel at midrapidity. In this contribution, quarkonium measurements performed by the ALICE collaboration at both midrapidity and forward rapidity for various energies and colliding systems (pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb), will be discussed and compared to theory.
The ALICE experiment explores the properties of strongly interacting QCD matter at extremely high temperatures created in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC and provides further insight into small-system physics in (high-multiplicity) pp and p-Pb collisions. The ALICE collaboration presented 27 parallel talks, 50 posters, and 1 flash talk at Quark Matter 2015 and covered various topics including collective dynamics, correlations and fluctuations, heavy flavors, quarkonia, jets and high $p_{\rm T}$ hadrons, electromagnetic probes, small system physics, and the upgrade program. This paper highlights some o…
Azimuthal correlations are a powerful tool to probe the properties and the evolution of the collision system. In this proceedings, we will review the recent azimuthal correlation measurements from ALICE at the LHC. The comparison to other experimental measurements and various theoretical calculations will be discussed as well.
The ALICE detector is well suited to measure heavy-flavour (charm and beauty) production via hadronic and semi-leptonic decay channels of heavy-flavour particles. Here an overview of heavy-flavour measurements made with the ALICE detector during Run 1 in pp and p--Pb collisions is presented and discussed.
An overview of recent ALICE results aimed to understand collective phenomena in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC is presented. These include the centrality dependence of the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) distributions of charged pions, kaons, and protons as well as results on anisotropic flow using data from Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV. In addition, comparisons between data and model predictions are presented.
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 …
In this paper, an overview of recent $\mathrm D^{0}$, $\mathrm D^{+}$ and $\mathrm D^{*+}$ measurements, performed by ALICE in proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}~=~2.76$, 5, 7, 8 and 13 TeV, is reported. The minimum-bias production cross sections, as well as their energy and species dependences, are compared to perturbative QCD calculations. The evolution of the D-meson yields with the event multiplicity is compared to phenomenological models.
An overview of recent ${\rm D^+}$, ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^{*+}}$ and ${\rm D_s^+}$ measurements performed by ALICE at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ and 8 TeV, as well as lead-lead collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}=2.76$ TeV, is presented. An emphasis is put on the discussion of theoretical predictions with respect to the LHC Run I data.
In this work we present a summary of the most relevant results on heavy-ion and astroparticle physics in ALICE. The summary includes a brief overview of the current status on the characterization of the hot and dense QCD medium created in the heavy-ion collisions produced at the LHC, as well as the intriguing finding of collective-like phenomena in small collision systems.
ALICE is an experiment mainly dedicated to the study of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP), a state of nuclear matter where quarks and gluons are deconfined, due to high temperature and density. The production of quarkonia, bound states of either a charm and anti-charm quark pair for charmonia or a bottom and anti-bottom quark pair for bottomonia, is a very useful probe of this state of matter. Indeed, the presence of the QGP modifies their production yields, due to a competition between medium-induced suppression and, at least for charmonia, a recombination mechanism in medium or at hadronization. …
In ALICE, open heavy-flavour production is studied through the measurements of the leptons (electrons and muons) from heavy-flavour hadron decays at central and forward rapidity and via the reconstruction of D-meson hadronic decays at mid-rapidity. An overview of the open heavy-flavour production with ALICE in pp ($\sqrt{s}$ = 2.76 TeV and 7 TeV), p--Pb ($\sqrt {s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV) and Pb--Pb ($\sqrt {s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV) collisions will be presented. We will discuss the production cross sections, modifications of the transverse momentum distributions, azimuthal anisotropic emissions …
The STAR experiment has been delivering significant physics results for more than 20 years. Stable operation of the experiment was achieved by using a robust controls system based on the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS). Now an object-oriented approach with Python libraries, adapted for EPICS software, is going to replace the procedural-based EPICS C libraries previously used at STAR. Advantages of the new approach include stability of operation, code reduction and straightforward project documentation. The first two sections of this paper introduce the STAR experimen…
In heavy-ion physics, measurements of short-lived hadronic resonances allow the properties of the hadronic phase of the collision to be studied. In addition, resonances can be used along with stable hadrons to study parton energy loss in the quark-gluon plasma and the mechanisms that shape hadron pT spectra at intermediate transverse momenta. Resonance measurements in small systems serve as a reference for heavy-ion collisions and contribute to searches for collective effects. An overview of recent results on hadronic resonance production measured in ALICE is presented. These results include t…
Heavy quarks (charm and beauty) are produced early in the nucleus-nucleus collisions, and heavy flavor survives throughout the later stages. Measurements of heavy-flavor quarks thus provide us with means to understand the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma, a hot and dense state of matter created in heavy-ion collisions. Production of heavy-flavor in small collision systems, on the other hand, can be used to test Quantum-chromodynamics models. After a successful completion of the Run-I data taking period, the increased luminosity from the LHC and an upgraded ALICE detector system in the Run-…
A major upgrade of the ALICE experiment is in progress and will result in high-rate data taking during LHC Run 3 (2022-2024). The LHC interaction rate at Point 2 where the ALICE experiment is located will be increased to $50\ \mathrm{kHz}$ in Pb--Pb collisions and $1\ \mathrm{MHz}$ in pp collisions. The ALICE experiment will be able to read out data at these interaction rates leading to an increase of the collected luminosity by a factor of up to about 100 with respect to LHC Runs 1 and 2. To satisfy these requirements, a new readout system has been developed for most of the ALICE detectors, a…
The exploration of properties of an extreme state of matter, the Quark--Gluon Plasma, has broken new ground with the recent Run 2 operation of the Large Hadron Collider with heavy-ion collisions at the highest energy to date. With the heavy-ion data taken at the end of 2015, the ALICE Collaboration has made the first observation of anisotropic flow of charged particles and related phenomena in lead--lead collisions at the record breaking energy of 5.02 TeV per nucleon pair. The Run 2 results come after the proton-lead collisions, which provided a lot of unexpected results obtained with two- an…
The PHENIX and STAR Collaborations at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider and ALICE, CMS, ATLAS and LHCb Collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider have measured the production of charmonium and bottonium states as well as open heavy flavor hadrons via their hadronic and semi-leptonic decays at mid-rapidity and in the semi-muonic decay channel at forward rapidity in pp, p--A and A--A collisions in an energy domain that ranges from $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.2 TeV to $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in pp collisions and from $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 0.2 TeV to $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV in A--A collisions. In this co…
Measurements of the production of short-lived hadronic resonances are used to probe the properties of the late hadronic phase in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Since these resonances have lifetimes comparable to that of the fireball, they are sensitive to the competing effects of particle re-scattering and regeneration in the hadronic gas, which modify the observed particle momentum distributions and yields after hadronisation. Having different masses, quantum numbers and quark content, hadronic resonances carry a wealth of information on different aspects of ion-ion collisions, incl…
The first collisions of lead nuclei, delivered by the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the end of 2010, at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV, marked the beginning of a new era in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion physics. The study of the properties of the produced hot and dense strongly-interacting matter at these unprecedented energies is currently experimentally pursued by all four big LHC experiments, ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb. The more than a factor 10 increase of collision energy at LHC, relative to the previously achieved maximal energy at other collide…
The first collisions of lead nuclei, delivered by the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the end of 2010, at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV, marked the beginning of a new era in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion physics. Following the Run 1 period, LHC also successfully delivered PbPb collisions at the collision energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV at the end of 2015. The study of the properties of the produced hot and dense strongly-interacting matter at these unprecedented energies is experimentally pursued by all four big LHC experiments, ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and…