Transverse-momentum and event-shape dependence of D-meson flow harmonics in Pb-Pb collisions at root(S)(NN)=5.02 TeV

Abstract

The elliptic and triangular flow coefficients v(2) and v(3) of prompt D-0 , D+ , and D*(+) mesons were measured at midrapidity (|y| < 0.8) in Pb-Pb collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of root(S)(NN) = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays in the transverse momentum interval 1 < p(T) < 36 GeV/c in central (0-10%) and semi-central (30-50%) collisions. Compared to pions, protons, and J/psi mesons, the average D-meson v(n) harmonics are compatible within uncertainties with a mass hierarchy for p(T) less than or similar to 3 GeV/c , and are similar to those of charged pions for higher p(T). The coupling of the charm quark to the light quarks in the underlying medium is further investigated with the application of the event-shape engineering (ESE) technique to the D-meson v(2) and p(T)-differential yields. The D-meson v(2) is correlated with average bulk elliptic flow in both central and semi-central collisions. Within the current precision, the ratios of per-event D meson yields in the ESE-selected and unbiased samples are found to be compatible with unity. All the measurements are found to be reasonably well described by theoretical calculations including the effects of charm-quark transport and the recombination of charm quarks with light quarks in a hydrodynamically expanding medium. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.