Low-x QCD at the LHC with the ALICE detector

TL;DR

This paper reviews gluon saturation and non-linear QCD evolution at small Bjorken-x, focusing on ALICE detector capabilities at the LHC for studying low-x physics through heavy quark production in the CGC framework.

Contribution

It highlights ALICE's potential for low-x QCD studies and discusses heavy quark production within the Color Glass Condensate framework.

Findings

ALICE can effectively probe gluon saturation at low-x.

Heavy quark production measurements can reveal non-linear QCD effects.

The Muon Spectrometer is crucial for observing low-x phenomena.

Abstract

We give a brief review of the physics of gluon saturation and non-linear QCD evolution at small values of the Bjorken-$x$ variable. We discuss the ALICE capability for low-$x$ studies at the LHC. In particular, we concentrate on the heavy quark production in the CGC framework and its observation with the ALICE Muon Spectrometer.