Measurement of prompt ${\mathrm{D^0}}$ and ${\mathrm{\overline{D}}{}^0}$ meson azimuthal anisotropy and search for strong electric fields in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} =$ 5.02 TeV
The strong Coulomb field created in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions is expected to produce a rapidity-dependent difference ( Δv 2 ) in the second Fourier coefficient of the azimuthal distribution (elliptic flow, v 2 ) between D 0 ( $\bar{u}c$ ) and ${\mathrm{\overline{D}}{}^0}$ ( $u\bar{c}$ ) mesons. Motivated by the search for evidence of this field, the CMS detector at the LHC is used to perform the first measurement of Δv 2 . The rapidity-averaged value is found to be ⟨Δv2⟩=0.001±0.001(stat)±0.003(syst) in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=5.02 TeV . In addition, the influence of the collision geometry is explored by measuring the D 0 and ${\mathrm{\overline{D}}{}^0}$ mesons v 2 and triangular flow coefficient ( v 3 ) as functions of rapidity, transverse momentum ( p T ), and event centrality (a measure of the overlap of the two Pb nuclei). A clear centrality dependence of prompt D 0 meson v 2 values is observed, while the v 3 is largely independent of centrality. These trends are consistent with expectations of flow driven by the initial-state geometry.