Production of pions, kaons and protons in Xe--Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.44$ TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports on the measurement of pion, kaon, and proton spectra in Xe--Xe collisions at 5.44 TeV, highlighting the analysis methods and the impact of unique experimental conditions on the results.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed analysis of identified particle spectra in Xe--Xe collisions at this energy, utilizing special low magnetic field conditions to explore new transverse momentum regions.

Findings

Extended $p_T$ spectra due to lower magnetic field

Comparison of particle yields across centrality bins

Insights into particle production mechanisms in Xe--Xe collisions

Abstract

In late 2017, the ALICE experiment recorded a data sample of Xe--Xe collisions at the unprecedented energy in A--A systems of $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}} = 5.44\text{ TeV}$. The $p_{\rm T}$ spectra at mid-rapidity ($|y| < 0.5$) of pions, kaons and protons are presented. The preliminary $p_{\rm T}$ spectra are obtained by combining independent analyses with the Inner Tracking System (ITS), the Time Projection Chamber (TPC), and the Time-Of-Flight (TOF) detectors. This paper focuses on the details of the analysis performed with TOF and in particular on the performance implications of the special Xe--Xe run conditions. The peculiarity of this data set comes from the experimental conditions: because of the lower magnetic field of the ALICE solenoid ($B = 0.2\text{ T}$, lower than the nominal $0.5\text{ T}$) we expect to explore a $p_{\rm T}$ region unattainable before. A comparison between the yields at different centrality bins will also be provided.