Measurement of D-meson production in pp collisions with ALICE at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of D-meson production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at multiple energies using ALICE at the LHC, comparing results with theoretical models and studying multiplicity dependence.

Contribution

First measurements of D-meson production cross sections at 2.76, 7, and 8 TeV in pp collisions with detailed comparisons to pQCD and model calculations.

Findings

D-meson cross sections increase with collision energy.

Prompt D-meson yields depend on charged particle multiplicity.

Results agree with pQCD predictions within uncertainties.

Abstract

The $\textit p_{T}$-differential cross section of D mesons in the rapidity range $|y|< 0.5$ was measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 2.76, 7 and 8 TeV. D mesons were reconstructed in their hadronic decay channels by means of the invariant mass analysis. The D-meson production cross sections is compared among different energies and to pQCD calculations. Also the prompt D meson are studied as a function of the multiplicity of charged articles produced in inelastic pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV. The measurements are compared with model calculations.