ϕ meson production at forward rapidity in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76 TeV

Abstract

ϕ meson measurements provide insight into strangeness production, which is one of the key observables for the hot medium formed in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. ALICE measured ϕ production through its decay in muon pairs in Pb–Pb collisions at √s_NN=2.76 TeV in the intermediate transverse momentum range 2<p_T<5 GeV/c and in the rapidity interval 2.5<y<4 . The ϕ yield was measured as a function of the transverse momentum and collision centrality. The nuclear modification factor was obtained as a function of the average number of participating nucleons. Results were compared with the ones obtained via the kaon decay channel in the same p_T range at midrapidity. The values of the nuclear modification factor in the two rapidity regions are in agreement within uncertainties.