Heavy-quark energy loss observed via muon spectra in Pb-Pb collisions at SNN1/2 = 5.5 TeV

摘要

Based on Conesa del Valle et al (2008 Phys. Lett. B 663 202), we present the results for the nuclear modification factors Raa and RCp of the high transverse momentum ( 5 < pt < 60 GeV/c ) distribution of muons in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies, in which two pseudo-rapidity ranges covered by the LHC experiments, |η| < 2.5 and 2.5 < η < 4, are investigated. Heavy-quark energy loss is taken into account by mass-dependent BDMPS quenching weights. Muons from semi-leptonic decays of heavy quarks (c and b) and from leptonic decays of weak gauge bosons (W and Z) are the main contributions to the muon pt distribution above a few GeV/c. The muons from W and Z, that dominates the high px, can be used as a medium-blind reference to observe the medium-induced suppression of beauty quarks.