First measurement of D*+ vector meson spin alignment in Pb–Pb collisions at TeV

ALICE Collaboration

doi:10.1007/JHEP10(2025)094

First measurement of D^*+ vector meson spin alignment in Pb–Pb collisions at TeV

ALICE Collaboration

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The first measurement of prompt D^*+-meson spin alignment in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions with respect to the direction orthogonal to the reaction plane is presented. The spin alignment is quantified by measuring the element ρ₀₀ of the diagonal spin-density matrix for prompt D^*+ mesons with 4 < p_T< 30 GeV/c in two rapidity intervals, |y| < 0.3 and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8, in central (0–10%) and midcentral (30–50%) Pb–Pb collisions at TeV. Evidence of spin alignment ρ₀₀> 1/3 has been found for p_T> 15 GeV/c and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8 with a significance of 3.1σ. The measured spin alignment of prompt D^*+ mesons is compared with the one of inclusive J/ψ mesons measured at forward rapidity (2.5 < y < 4).

Original language	English
Article number	94
Journal	Journal of High Energy Physics
Volume	2025
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2025)094
Publication status	Published - Oct 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.

Keywords

Heavy Ion Experiments
Particle Correlations and Fluctuations
QCD
Quark Gluon Plasma

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Cite this

@article{dbbb8f8d180640ac86e757c3c3142d27,

title = "First measurement of D*+ vector meson spin alignment in Pb–Pb collisions at TeV",

abstract = "The first measurement of prompt D*+-meson spin alignment in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions with respect to the direction orthogonal to the reaction plane is presented. The spin alignment is quantified by measuring the element ρ00 of the diagonal spin-density matrix for prompt D*+ mesons with 4 < pT< 30 GeV/c in two rapidity intervals, |y| < 0.3 and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8, in central (0–10\%) and midcentral (30–50\%) Pb–Pb collisions at TeV. Evidence of spin alignment ρ00> 1/3 has been found for pT> 15 GeV/c and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8 with a significance of 3.1σ. The measured spin alignment of prompt D*+ mesons is compared with the one of inclusive J/ψ mesons measured at forward rapidity (2.5 < y < 4).",

keywords = "Heavy Ion Experiments, Particle Correlations and Fluctuations, QCD, Quark Gluon Plasma",

author = "\{ALICE Collaboration\} and S. Acharya and A. Agarwal and \{Aglieri Rinella\}, G. and L. Aglietta and M. Agnello and N. Agrawal and Z. Ahammed and S. Ahmad and Ahn, \{S. U.\} and I. Ahuja and A. Akindinov and V. Akishina and M. Al-Turany and D. Aleksandrov and B. Alessandro and Alfanda, \{H. M.\} and \{Alfaro Molina\}, R. and B. Ali and A. Alici and N. Alizadehvandchali and A. Alkin and J. Alme and G. Alocco and S. Basu and A. Caliva and P. Christakoglou and T. Chujo and A. Dobrin and L. Fabbietti and A. Grelli and Jacobs, \{P. M.\} and S. Jaelani and J. Klein and C. Kuhn and Kuijer, \{P. G.\} and \{La Pointe\}, \{S. L.\} and G. Luparello and S. Muhuri and T. Peitzmann and N. Poljak and Sas, \{M. H.P.\} and Snellings, \{R. J.M.\} and D. Thomas and \{van Doremalen\}, \{L. V.R.\} and M. Verweij and Y. Wang and Wessels, \{J. P.\} and Z. Yin and X. Zhang and D. Zhou and Johanna L{\"o}mker and Bas Hofman and Olaf Massen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1007/JHEP10(2025)094",

language = "English",

volume = "2025",

journal = "Journal of High Energy Physics",

issn = "1126-6708",

publisher = "Springer Verlag",

number = "10",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - First measurement of D*+ vector meson spin alignment in Pb–Pb collisions at TeV

AU - ALICE Collaboration

AU - Acharya, S.

AU - Agarwal, A.

AU - Aglieri Rinella, G.

AU - Aglietta, L.

AU - Agnello, M.

AU - Agrawal, N.

AU - Ahammed, Z.

AU - Ahmad, S.

AU - Ahn, S. U.

AU - Ahuja, I.

AU - Akindinov, A.

AU - Akishina, V.

AU - Al-Turany, M.

AU - Aleksandrov, D.

AU - Alessandro, B.

AU - Alfanda, H. M.

AU - Alfaro Molina, R.

AU - Ali, B.

AU - Alici, A.

AU - Alizadehvandchali, N.

AU - Alkin, A.

AU - Alme, J.

AU - Alocco, G.

AU - Basu, S.

AU - Caliva, A.

AU - Christakoglou, P.

AU - Chujo, T.

AU - Dobrin, A.

AU - Fabbietti, L.

AU - Grelli, A.

AU - Jacobs, P. M.

AU - Jaelani, S.

AU - Klein, J.

AU - Kuhn, C.

AU - Kuijer, P. G.

AU - La Pointe, S. L.

AU - Luparello, G.

AU - Muhuri, S.

AU - Peitzmann, T.

AU - Poljak, N.

AU - Sas, M. H.P.

AU - Snellings, R. J.M.

AU - Thomas, D.

AU - van Doremalen, L. V.R.

AU - Verweij, M.

AU - Wang, Y.

AU - Wessels, J. P.

AU - Yin, Z.

AU - Zhang, X.

AU - Zhou, D.

AU - Lömker, Johanna

AU - Hofman, Bas

AU - Massen, Olaf

PY - 2025/10

Y1 - 2025/10

N2 - The first measurement of prompt D*+-meson spin alignment in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions with respect to the direction orthogonal to the reaction plane is presented. The spin alignment is quantified by measuring the element ρ00 of the diagonal spin-density matrix for prompt D*+ mesons with 4 < pT< 30 GeV/c in two rapidity intervals, |y| < 0.3 and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8, in central (0–10%) and midcentral (30–50%) Pb–Pb collisions at TeV. Evidence of spin alignment ρ00> 1/3 has been found for pT> 15 GeV/c and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8 with a significance of 3.1σ. The measured spin alignment of prompt D*+ mesons is compared with the one of inclusive J/ψ mesons measured at forward rapidity (2.5 < y < 4).

AB - The first measurement of prompt D*+-meson spin alignment in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions with respect to the direction orthogonal to the reaction plane is presented. The spin alignment is quantified by measuring the element ρ00 of the diagonal spin-density matrix for prompt D*+ mesons with 4 < pT< 30 GeV/c in two rapidity intervals, |y| < 0.3 and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8, in central (0–10%) and midcentral (30–50%) Pb–Pb collisions at TeV. Evidence of spin alignment ρ00> 1/3 has been found for pT> 15 GeV/c and 0.3 < |y| < 0.8 with a significance of 3.1σ. The measured spin alignment of prompt D*+ mesons is compared with the one of inclusive J/ψ mesons measured at forward rapidity (2.5 < y < 4).

KW - Heavy Ion Experiments

KW - Particle Correlations and Fluctuations

KW - QCD

KW - Quark Gluon Plasma

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018619542

U2 - 10.1007/JHEP10(2025)094

DO - 10.1007/JHEP10(2025)094

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105018619542

SN - 1126-6708

VL - 2025

JO - Journal of High Energy Physics

JF - Journal of High Energy Physics

IS - 10

M1 - 94

ER -