Measurement of the J/$\psi$ polarization with respect to the event plane in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

TL;DR

This study measures the polarization of J/ψ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, revealing small transverse polarization possibly linked to the quark-gluon plasma's vorticity and magnetic fields.

Contribution

First measurement of J/ψ polarization with respect to the event plane in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC.

Findings

Small transverse polarization observed with 3.9σ significance at low pT.

Polarization varies with collision centrality and transverse momentum.

Results suggest a connection between polarization and quark-gluon plasma properties.

Abstract

We study the polarization of inclusive J/$\psi$ produced in Pb$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV at the LHC in the dimuon channel, via the measurement of the angular distribution of its decay products. We perform the study in the rapidity region $2.5<y<4$, for three transverse momentum intervals ($2<p_{\rm T}<4$, $4<p_{\rm T}<6$, $6<p_{\rm T}<10$ GeV/$c$) and as a function of the centrality of the collision for $2<p_{\rm T}<6$ GeV/c. For the first time, the polarization is measured with respect to the event plane of the collision, by considering the angle between the positive-charge decay muon in the J/$\psi$ rest frame and the axis perpendicular to the event-plane vector in the laboratory system. A small transverse polarization is measured, with a significance reaching 3.9$\sigma$ at low $p_{\rm T}$ and for intermediate centrality values. The polarization could be connected with the behaviour of the quark$-$gluon plasma, formed in Pb$-$Pb collisions, as a rotating fluid with large vorticity, as well as with the existence of a strong magnetic field in the early stage of its formation.