Heavy-flavour studies with a high-luminosity fixed-target experiment at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of high-luminosity fixed-target experiments at the LHC using bent crystals or gas targets, enabling precise heavy-flavour studies at energies between SPS and RHIC.

Contribution

It presents projection studies for heavy-flavour production in fixed-target mode at the LHC, highlighting new opportunities with LHCb and ALICE detectors.

Findings

Feasibility of high-energy fixed-target experiments at the LHC.

Projected capabilities for quarkonium and open heavy-flavour measurements.

Enhanced access to heavy-flavour physics in a new energy domain.

Abstract

Extraction of the multi-TeV proton and lead LHC beams with a bent crystal or by using an internal gas target allows one to perform the most energetic fixed-target experiment ever. pp, pd and pA collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 115 GeV and Pbp and PbA collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 72 GeV can be studied with high precision and modern detection techniques over a broad rapidity range. Using the LHCb or the ALICE detector in a fixed-target mode offers unprecedented possibilities to access heavy-flavour production in a new energy domain, half way between the SPS and the nominal RHIC energy. In this contribution, a review of projection studies for quarkonium and open charm and beauty production with both detector set-ups used with various nuclear targets and the LHC lead beams is presented.