Nuclear modification of J/psi production in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=2.76 TeV

TL;DR

This paper presents measurements of J/psi production in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV, showing how nuclear effects modify J/psi yields at different rapidities and transverse momenta, using ALICE's unique detection capabilities.

Contribution

First measurement of the nuclear modification factor of inclusive J/psi in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies across rapidity ranges.

Findings

J/psi suppression observed at both mid- and forward rapidity.

ALICE's unique acceptance allows measurement down to p_T=0.

Preliminary results indicate significant nuclear modification effects.

Abstract

ALICE is the dedicated heavy-ion experiment at the LHC. Due to the unique particle identification capabilities of the central barrel detectors (|eta|<0.9), J/psi can be measured in the di-electron channel in the very demanding environment of central Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. In addition J/psi are measured at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4) with a dedicated muon spectrometer. ALICE is the only LHC experiment with an acceptance for J/psi that reaches down to p_T=0 at both, mid- and forward rapidity. Preliminary results on the nuclear modification factor of the inclusive J/psi production at mid- and forward rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=2.76 TeV are presented.