Recent ALICE results on quarkonium production in nuclear collisions

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent ALICE experimental results on quarkonium production in lead-lead collisions at the LHC, focusing on nuclear modifications, polarization, and their implications for understanding the quark-gluon plasma.

Contribution

It presents new measurements of quarkonium production and polarization in heavy-ion collisions, comparing them with theoretical models to enhance understanding of QGP properties.

Findings

Nuclear modifications of J/ψ and ψ(2S) production observed

J/ψ polarization measurements conducted

Results compared with theoretical model calculations

Abstract

Quarkonium production has long been regarded as a potential signature of deconfinement in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Recently, the production of J/$\psi$ via regeneration within the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) or at the phase boundary has been identified as an important ingredient for the interpretation of quarkonium production results from lead-lead collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Quarkonium polarization could also be used to investigate the properties of the hot and dense medium created at the LHC energies. In this contribution, the latest ALICE results on quarkonium will be presented and discussed. These include, among others, the nuclear modifications of (prompt and non-prompt) J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) production, and the J/$\psi$ polarisation, all measured with lead-lead collisions at the LHC. The results will be compared with available theoretical model calculations.