Measurement of $D^{*\pm}$, $D^\pm$ and $D_s^\pm$ meson production cross sections in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of $D^{* extpm}$, $D^ extpm$, and $D_s^ extpm$ meson production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector, comparing results with QCD predictions and deriving charm production parameters.

Contribution

First measurement of charm meson production cross sections at 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector, including extrapolation to full phase space and extraction of charm fragmentation parameters.

Findings

Measured differential cross sections for $D^{* extpm}$ and $D^ extpm$ mesons.

Next-to-leading-order QCD predictions agree with data within uncertainties.

Derived charm fragmentation and total charm production cross section.

Abstract

The production of $D^{*\pm}$, $D^\pm$ and $D_s^\pm$ charmed mesons has been measured with the ATLAS detector in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV at the LHC, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $280\,$nb$^{-1}$. The charmed mesons have been reconstructed in the range of transverse momentum $3.5<p_{\rm T}(D)<100$ GeV and pseudorapidity $|\eta(D)|<2.1$. The differential cross sections as a function of transverse momentum and pseudorapidity were measured for $D^{*\pm}$ and $D^\pm$ production. The next-to-leading-order QCD predictions are consistent with the data in the visible kinematic region within the large theoretical uncertainties. Using the visible $D$ cross sections and an extrapolation to the full kinematic phase space, the strangeness-suppression factor in charm fragmentation, the fraction of charged non-strange $D$ mesons produced in a vector state, and the total cross section of charm production at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV were derived.