Tsallis Fits to p_T Spectra for pp Collisions at LHC

TL;DR

This paper applies Tsallis distribution fits to charged particle transverse momentum spectra from LHC proton-proton collisions, covering a wide p_T range, and discusses the physical implications of the fit parameters.

Contribution

It demonstrates the effectiveness of Tsallis fits over a broad p_T range in LHC data and questions the physical interpretation of the distribution's parameters.

Findings

Tsallis fits successfully describe p_T spectra from 0.5 to 181 GeV at 7 TeV

Fits extend from 0.5 to 31 GeV at 0.9 TeV

Raises questions about the physical meaning of Tsallis parameters

Abstract

Phenomenological Tsallis fits to the CMS and ATLAS transverse spectra of charged particles were found to extend for p_T from 0.5 to 181 GeV in pp collisions at LHC at \sqrt{s}=7 TeV, and for p_T from 0.5 to 31 GeV at \sqrt{s}=0.9 TeV. The simplicity of the Tsallis parametrization and the large range of the fitting transverse momentum raise questions on the physical meaning of the degrees of freedom that enter into the Tsallis distribution or q-statistics.