Evidence of rescattering effect in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC through production of K*(892)0 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 1018 more authors) (2020) Evidence of rescattering effect in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC through production of K*(892)0 and φ(1020) mesons PHYSICS LETTERS B, 802. 135225-. ISSN 0370-2693, 1873-2445

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Abstract

Measurements of K(892)0⁎ and ϕ(1020) resonance production in Pb–Pb and pp collisions at s<inf>NN</inf> = 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 (p<inf>T</inf>) distributions are obtained for various collision centrality classes up to p<inf>T</inf> = 20 GeV/c. The p<inf>T</inf>-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 p<inf>T</inf>-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 s<inf>NN</inf> = 5.02 TeV. These ratios show that the rescattering effect is predominantly a low-p<inf>T</inf> phenomenon.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: 5106 Nuclear and Plasma Physics, 5107 Particle and High Energy Physics, 51 Physical Sciences
Divisions: Faculty of Science & Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 09 Sep 2021 08:40
Last Modified: 16 Jun 2026 13:54
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
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