Evidence of rescattering effect in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC through production of K*(892)<SUP>0</SUP> and φ(1020) mesons



Acharya, S, Acosta, FT, Adam, J, Adamova, D, Adler, A, Adolfsson, J, Aggarwal, MM, Rinella, G Aglieri, Agnello, M, Agrawal, N
et al (show 1015 more authors) (2020) Evidence of rescattering effect in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC through production of K*(892)<SUP>0</SUP> and φ(1020) mesons. PHYSICS LETTERS B, 802. p. 135225.

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Abstract

Measurements of K(892)0⁎ and ϕ(1020) resonance production in Pb–Pb and pp collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The resonances are measured at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) via their hadronic decay channels and the transverse momentum (pT) distributions are obtained for various collision centrality classes up to pT = 20 GeV/c. The pT-integrated yield ratio K(892)0⁎/K in Pb–Pb collisions shows significant suppression relative to pp collisions and decreases towards more central collisions. In contrast, the ϕ(1020)/K ratio does not show any suppression. Furthermore, the measured K(892)0⁎/K ratio in central Pb–Pb collisions is significantly suppressed with respect to the expectations based on a thermal model calculation, while the ϕ(1020)/K ratio agrees with the model prediction. These measurements are an experimental demonstration of rescattering of K(892)0⁎ decay products in the hadronic phase of the collisions. The K(892)0⁎/K yield ratios in Pb–Pb and pp collisions are used to estimate the time duration between chemical and kinetic freeze-out, which is found to be ∼ 4–7 fm/c for central collisions. The pT-differential ratios of K(892)0⁎/K, ϕ(1020)/K, K(892)0⁎/π, ϕ(1020)/π, p/K(892)0⁎ and p/ϕ(1020) are also presented for Pb–Pb and pp collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV. These ratios show that the rescattering effect is predominantly a low-pT phenomenon.

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 09 Sep 2021 08:40
Last Modified: 06 Oct 2023 18:08
DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135225
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135225
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3136476