Transverse dynamics of charmed hadrons in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions

TL;DR

This study models the transverse momentum spectra and flow of charmed hadrons in heavy-ion collisions using a parameter-free hydrodynamic approach, achieving good agreement with data and revealing insights into charm quark dynamics.

Contribution

It applies a combined Statistical Hadronization and viscous hydrodynamics model to charmed hadrons, providing new insights into their transverse dynamics in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions.

Findings

Good agreement with $p_T$ spectra below 10 GeV/c

Reproduction of flow coefficient distributions for charmonia

Observation of discrepancies in $p_T$ hardening trends for central collisions

Abstract

Transverse momentum $p_{\rm T}$ spectra and anisotropic flow distributions are studied for charmonia and charmed hadrons produced in Pb-Pb collisions and measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The investigations are performed within the framework of the Statistical Hadronization Model with the transverse dynamics evaluated using predictions from relativistic viscous hydrodynamics as implemented in the computer codes MUSIC and FluiduM. With this essentially parameter-free approach, mostly good agreement is obtained for $p_{\rm T}$ spectra in the range $p_{\rm T}$ $< 10$ GeV/c. The calculations suggest a hardening of the ${\rm J}/\psi$ $p_{\rm T}$ distribution for more central collisions while the data show the opposite trend. The observed wide distribution in $p_{\rm T}$ of anisotropic flow coefficients v$_2$ and v$_3$ for charmonia is also well reproduced, while their magnitude is generally somewhat over predicted. This finding may be connected to a difference in spatial distribution between light and charmed hadrons due to a different diffusion of light and heavy quarks in the hot fireball.