$\Lambda_{\rm c}^+$ production in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV and in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports the first measurements of prompt $\\Lambda_{c}^+$ production in pp and p-Pb collisions at the LHC, revealing discrepancies with theoretical models and providing insights into charm baryon production and nuclear effects.

Contribution

It provides the first LHC measurements of $\\Lambda_{c}^+$ production and nuclear modification factor, challenging existing QCD models of heavy-flavor baryon fragmentation.

Findings

$\\Lambda_{c}^+ / D_0$ ratio is larger than previous measurements.

Perturbative QCD and Monte Carlo models do not reproduce the data.

The nuclear modification factor $R_{pPb}$ is consistent with unity.

Abstract

The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross section of prompt $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+$ charmed baryons was measured with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV and in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV at midrapidity. The $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+$ and ${\overline{\Lambda}}_{\rm c}^-$ were reconstructed in the hadronic decay modes $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+\rightarrow {\rm p}{\rm K^-}\pi^+$, $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+\rightarrow {\rm p}{\rm K_{\rm S}^0}$ and in the semileptonic channel $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+\rightarrow {\rm e^+}\nu_{\rm e}\Lambda$ (and charge conjugates). The measured values of the $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+/{\rm D_0}$ ratio, which is sensitive to the c-quark hadronisation mechanism, and in particular to the production of baryons, are presented and are larger than those measured previously in different colliding systems, centre-of-mass energies, rapidity and $p_{\rm T}$ intervals, where the $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+$ production process may differ. The results are compared with the expectations obtained from perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics calculations and Monte Carlo event generators. Neither perturbative QCD calculations nor Monte Carlo models reproduce the data, indicating that the fragmentation of heavy-flavour baryons is not well understood. The first measurement at the LHC of the $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+$ nuclear modification factor, $R_{\rm pPb}$, is also presented. The $R_{\rm pPb}$ is found to be consistent with unity and with that of D mesons within the uncertainties, and consistent with a theoretical calculation that includes cold nuclear matter effects and a calculation that includes charm quark interactions with a deconfined medium.