A measurement of neutral mesons inside jets in pp - collisions at 5TeV
Summary
This thesis presents a study of jet production and the decay dynamics of
neutral mesons (π 0 and η) within those jets in proton-proton collisions, utilizing
data from the ALICE experiment at the LHC. Employing both EMC-EMC and
PCM-EMC reconstruction methods, the research investigates the momentum-
dependent invariant yields of these mesons across various jet transverse momen-
tum (p T,jet ) ranges and explores the η/π 0 ratio to understand the underlying
production mechanisms and their compatibility with theoretical models.
The analysis reveals a marked agreement between the invariant yields within
jets and minimum bias measurements for mesons with p T above the jet momen-
tum threshold, validating QCD’s predictions on meson production rates. The
study continues into the exploration of the η/π 0 ratio as a function of jet mo-
mentum, providing critical insights into meson production dynamics within jets
and indicating a nuanced understanding of nuclear modification factors in heavy-
ion collisions. Through a segmented p T bin analysis, the research highlights the
jet-momentum dependency of meson production, showcasing the functionality of
alternative analysis methods such as the 2D-unfolding method and rotational
background calculations, alongside offering a detailed comparison with prelimi-
nary measurements.
The findings contribute to our understanding of jet dynamics and meson pro-
duction mechanisms in high-energy particle physics, offering valuable benchmarks
for future theoretical and experimental studies in both pp and heavy-ion col-
lisions. The thesis underscores the importance of re-evaluating existing particle
reconstruction methods and detailed analytical techniques in an effort to enhance
our comprehension of fundamental physics.