Exploring jet fragmentation using two-particle correlations with $\Lambda$ and K$^0_{\rm S}$

TL;DR

This paper investigates jet fragmentation and strange hadron production in pp and Pb--Pb collisions using two-particle correlations, providing insights into particle production mechanisms and comparing experimental results with Monte Carlo models.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of strange hadron-triggered correlations in small and large collision systems, enhancing understanding of strangeness production in jets.

Findings

Similar strange hadron production mechanisms observed across systems

Per-trigger yields depend on transverse momentum and multiplicity

Comparison with Monte Carlo models improves understanding of strangeness production

Abstract

Complementary to jet reconstruction, two-particle correlations in $\Delta\eta$ and $\Delta\varphi$ are used to study jets, in particular their particle composition. While in Pb--Pb collisions this is done to characterize the quark--gluon plasma, pp and p--Pb collisions serve as a reference and are of interest on their own for their input into the understanding of particle production mechanisms. Recent ALICE results on the production of strange particles in small systems (pp and p--Pb collisions) reveal the possibility of having similar strange hadron production mechanisms in all collision systems. We present here a study of two-particle correlations triggered with strange hadrons ($\mathrm{K_S^0}$, $\Lambda$, $\overline{\Lambda}$) in pp collisions at 13 TeV and 5.02 TeV and in the most central Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$= 5.02 TeV. The dependence of the per-trigger yields of primary charged hadrons on the transverse momenta of the trigger and associated particles, as well as on the event multiplicity, will be presented for both the near-side and away-side regions. Moreover, the ratios of these yields to the yields extracted from inclusive hadron-hadron correlations and the nuclear modification factor $I_{AA}$ will be discussed. The results are compared among the three hadron species. In addition, a comparison to different Monte Carlo generators is presented, which allows us to better understand strangeness production in jets.