Glauber-model analysis of 5 TeV $\bf p$-Pb centrality compared to a two-component (soft + hard) model of hadron production in high-energy nuclear collisions

TL;DR

This paper critically examines Glauber-model-based centrality estimates in 5 TeV p-Pb collisions, contrasting them with a two-component model, revealing inconsistencies and proposing refined interpretations of collision geometry and particle production.

Contribution

It identifies discrepancies between Glauber model assumptions and two-component model data, proposing an alternative centrality estimation method and validating it with experimental spectra.

Findings

Glauber model's linear N_{part} and n_{ch} relation is inconsistent with data.

Upper limit of N_{part} in p-A collisions is near 8.

Spectrum ratios at high p_t align with two-component model predictions.

Abstract

A recent study of 5 TeV $p$-Pb centrality combined a Glauber model of $p$-Pb collision geometry with an assumption of linear scaling between $n_{ch}$ (charge) integrated within some $\eta$ acceptance and the number of nucleon participants $N_{part}$. The study concluded that $N_{part}$ increases to nearly 16 in central collisions, and the high-$p_t$ region of $p$-Pb $p_t$ spectra rescaled by the Glauber-estimated number of $p$-N binary collisions remains consistent with a $p$-$p$ spectrum for the same energy, independent of $p$-Pb centrality. However, the relation between $N_{part}$ and $n_{ch}$ derived from a two-component (soft + hard) model (TCM) study of ensemble-mean $\bar p_t$ data for the same system is quite different. This article reports a detailed analysis of the Glauber study and the question of centrality in $p$-A collisions. The Glauber centrality model is compared with the $\bar p_t$ TCM to understand the sources of major differences. The assumption of linear proportionality between $n_{ch}$ and $N_{part}$ is found to be inconsistent with $\bar p_t$ data. Properties of the convolution integral relating a differential cross section and hadron production model to an event distribution on $n_{ch}$ are examined. An alternative differential-cross-section distribution is inferred from charge-multiplicity data, and the upper limit on $N_{part}$ is estimated to be near 8. The TCM centrality model is then applied to $p_t$ spectrum ratios to predict results for $p$-Pb spectra. The spectrum TCM is tested with identified-pion spectra from 5 TeV $p$-Pb collisions and the result is consistent with previous $p$-$p$ TCM results. A TCM prediction that the spectrum ratio at high $p_t$ should increase to 14 for central $p$-Pb collisions due to quadratic dependence of dijet production on $n_{ch}$ is consistent with $\bar p_t$ data from the same system.