ALICE potential for direct photon measurements in p-p and Pb-Pb collisions

TL;DR

This paper discusses ALICE's electromagnetic calorimeter capabilities to measure direct photons in proton-proton and lead-lead collisions, aiding QCD tests and quark-gluon plasma research at the LHC.

Contribution

It presents the experimental potential of ALICE EMCal for direct photon measurements in p-p and Pb-Pb collisions, providing a basis for future QCD and quark-gluon plasma studies.

Findings

Assessment of ALICE EMCal's photon detection capabilities

Feasibility of measuring direct photon spectra in p-p and Pb-Pb

Baseline data for QCD and quark-gluon plasma research

Abstract

The production of direct photons, not coming from hadron decays, at large transverse momentum pT > 2 GeV/c in proton-proton collisions at the LHC, is an interesting process to test the predictions of perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics at the highest energies ever and to put constraints on the gluon density in the proton. Furthermore, they provide a baseline reference for quark-gluon-plasma studies in Pb-Pb collisions. We will present the experimental capabilities of the ALICE electromagnetic calorimeter EMCal to reconstruct the direct and isolated photon spectra in p-p and Pb-Pb collisions.