Strangeness production in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions with ALICE at LHC

TL;DR

This paper reports on the measurement of strange particle production in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, providing insights into strangeness production mechanisms and quark-gluon plasma dynamics.

Contribution

It presents new measurements of multi-strange particle yields and ratios in different collision systems at high energies, enhancing understanding of strangeness production.

Findings

Hyperon-to-pion ratios differ between p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions.

Nuclear modification factors reveal suppression patterns related to strange quark energy loss.

Results inform models of particle production and medium effects in heavy-ion collisions.

Abstract

The main goal of the ALICE experiment is to study the properties of the hot and dense medium created in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The measurement of the (multi-)strange particles is an important tool to understand particle production mechanisms and the dynamics of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). We report on the production of K$^{0}_{S}$, $\Lambda$($\overline{\Lambda}$), $\Xi^{-}$($\overline{\Xi}^{+}$) and $\Omega^{-}$($\overline{\Omega}^{+}$) in proton-lead (p-Pb) collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV and lead-lead (Pb-Pb) collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV measured by ALICE at the LHC. The comparison of the hyperon-to-pion ratios in the two colliding systems may provide insight into strangeness production mechanisms, while the comparison of the nuclear modification factors helps to determine the contribution of initial state effects and the suppression from strange quark energy loss in nuclear matter.