Measurement of prompt D -meson production in p – Pb collisions at s N N = 5.02 TeV
The p T -differential production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D⁰, D⁺, D*⁺, and D⁺ s and their charge conjugate in the rapidity interval −0.96 < y cms < 0.04 were measured in p−Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy √ s NN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The nuclear modification factor R pPb , quantifying the D-meson yield in p−Pb collisions relative to the yield in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, is compatible within the 15%–20% uncertainties with unity in the transverse momentum interval 1 < p T < 24 GeV/c. No significant difference among the R pPb of the four D-meson species is observed. The results are described within uncertainties by theoretical calculations that include initial-state effects. The measurement adds experimental evidence that the modification of the momentum spectrum of D mesons observed in Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions is due to strong final-state effects induced by hot partonic matter.