Measurement of electrons from heavy-flavour hadron decays in p–Pb collisions at \(\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02\) TeV

Abstract

The production of electrons from heavy-flavour hadron decays was measured as a function of transverse momentum \(p_{\rm T}\) in minimum-bias p–Pb collisions at \(\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02\) TeV with ALICE at the LHC for \(0.5 < p_{\rm T} < 12\) GeV/\).\) in the rapidity range \(-1.06 < y_{\rm cms} < 0.14\) in the centre-of-mass frame. To estimate the contribution of electrons from background sources an invariant mass approach was used. The nuclear modification factor \(R_{\rm pPb}\) was calculated by comparing the \(p_{\rm T}\).differential invariant cross section in p–Pb collisions to a pp reference at the same centre-of-mass energy, which was obtained by interpolating measurements at \(\sqrt{s}=2.76\) TeV and \(\sqrt{s}=7\) TeV. The \(R_{\rm pPb}\) is consistent with unity within uncertainties of about 25%, which become larger below \(p_{\rm T} = 1\) GeV/\).\). The data are also reproduced by model calculations including cold nuclear matter effects.