Measurement of the prompt-production cross-section ratio $σ(χ_{c2})/σ(χ_{c1})$ in $p$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV
hep-ex
/ Authors
R. Aaij, C. Abellán Beteta, T. Ackernley, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, H. Afsharnia, C. A. Aidala, S. Aiola, Z. Ajaltouni, S. Akar
and 955 more authors
J. Albrecht, F. Alessio, M. Alexander, A. Alfonso Albero, Z. Aliouche, G. Alkhazov, P. Alvarez Cartelle, S. Amato, Y. Amhis, L. An, L. Anderlini, A. Andreianov, M. Andreotti, F. Archilli, A. Artamonov, M. Artuso, K. Arzymatov, E. Aslanides, M. Atzeni, B. Audurier, S. Bachmann, M. Bachmayer, J. J. Back, S. Baker
/ Abstract
This Letter reports the first measurement of prompt $χ_{c1}$ and $χ_{c2}$ charmonium production in nuclear collisions at Large Hadron Collider energies. The cross-section ratio $σ(χ_{c2}) / σ(χ_{c1})$ is measured in $p$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV, collected with the LHCb experiment. The $χ_{c1,2}$ states are reconstructed via their decay to a $\rm{J}/ψ$ meson, subsequently decaying into a pair of oppositely charged muons, and a photon, which is reconstructed in the calorimeter or via its conversion in the detector material. The cross-section ratio is consistent with unity in the two considered rapidity regions. Comparison with a corresponding cross-section ratio previously measured by the LHCb collaboration in $pp$ collisions suggests that $χ_{c1}$ and $χ_{c2}$ states are similarly affected by nuclear effects occurring in $p$Pb collisions.