Centrality dependence of ψ(2S) suppression in p-Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

Abstract

The inclusive production of the ψ(2S) charmonium state was studied as a function of centrality in p-Pb collisions at the nucleon-nucleon center of mass energy √sNN = 5.02 TeV at the CERN LHC. The measurement was performed with the ALICE detec- tor in the center of mass rapidity ranges −4.46 < ycms < −2.96 and 2.03 < ycms < 3.53, down to zero transverse momentum, by reconstructing the ψ(2S) decay to a muon pair. The ψ(2S) production cross section σψ(2S) is presented as a function of the collision cen- trality, which is estimated through the energy deposited in forward rapidity calorime- ters. The relative strength of nuclear effects on the ψ(2S) and on the corresponding 1S charmonium state J/ψ is then studied by means of the double ratio of cross sections [σψ(2S)/σJ/ψ]pPb/[σψ(2S)/σJ/ψ]pp between p-Pb and pp collisions, and by the values of the nuclear modification factors for the two charmonium states. The results show a large suppression of ψ(2S) production relative to the J/ψ at backward (negative) rapidity, corre- sponding to the flight direction of the Pb-nucleus, while at forward (positive) rapidity the suppressions of the two states are comparable. Finally, comparisons to results from lower energy experiments and to available theoretical models are presented.