Heavy-flavour studies with a high-luminosity fixed-target experiment at the LHC
nucl-ex
/ Authors
B. Trzeciak, S. J. Brodsky, G. Cavoto, C. Da Silva, M. G. Echevarria, E. G. Ferreiro, C. Hadjidakis, R. Haque, I. Hrivnacova, D. Kikola
and 24 more authors
A. Klein, A. Kurepin, A. Kusina, J. P. Lansberg, C. Lorce, F. Lyonnet, Y. Makdisi, L. Massacrier, S. Porteboeuf, C. Quintans, A. Rakotozafindrabe, P. Robbe, W. Scandale, I. Schienbein, J. Seixas, H. S. Shao, A. Signori, N. Topilskaya, A. Uras, C. Van Hulse, J. Wagner, N. Yamanaka, Z. Yang, A. Zelenski
/ Abstract
Extraction of the multi-TeV proton and lead LHC beams with a bent crystal or by using an internal gas target allows one to perform the most energetic fixed-target experiment ever. pp, pd and pA collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 115 GeV and Pbp and PbA collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 72 GeV can be studied with high precision and modern detection techniques over a broad rapidity range. Using the LHCb or the ALICE detector in a fixed-target mode offers unprecedented possibilities to access heavy-flavour production in a new energy domain, half way between the SPS and the nominal RHIC energy. In this contribution, a review of projection studies for quarkonium and open charm and beauty production with both detector set-ups used with various nuclear targets and the LHC lead beams is presented.