A1 Journal article (refereed)
Measurement of beauty and charm production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV via non-prompt and prompt D mesons (2021)

ALICE collaboration. (2021). Measurement of beauty and charm production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV via non-prompt and prompt D mesons. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(5), Article 220. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2021)220

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: ALICE collaboration

Journal or series: Journal of High Energy Physics

ISSN: 1126-6708

eISSN: 1029-8479

Publication year: 2021

Volume: 2021

Issue number: 5

Article number: 220

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: Germany

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2021)220

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/77090

Web address of parallel published publication (pre-print): https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.13601

Abstract

The pT-differential production cross sections of prompt and non-prompt (produced in beauty-hadron decays) D mesons were measured by the ALICE experiment at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at s√ = 5.02 TeV. The data sample used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of (19.3 ± 0.4) nb−1. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D0 → K−π+, D+ → K−π+π+, and D+s→φπ+→K−K+π+ and their charge conjugates. Compared to previous measurements in the same rapidity region, the cross sections of prompt D+ and D+s mesons have an extended pT coverage and total uncertainties reduced by a factor ranging from 1.05 to 1.6, depending on pT, allowing for a more precise determination of their pT-integrated cross sections. The results are well described by perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of heavy quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, fs/(fu + fd), is compatible for charm and beauty quarks and with previous measurements at different centre-of-mass energies and collision systems. The bb¯¯¯ production cross section per rapidity unit at midrapidity, estimated from non-prompt D-meson measurements, is dσbb¯¯¯/dy∣∣|y|<0.5=34.5±2.4(stat)+4.7−2.9(tot.syst) μb. It is compatible with previous measurements at the same centre-of-mass energy and with the cross section pre- dicted by perturbative QCD calculations.

Keywords: particle physics

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2021

JUFO rating: 2