Dielectron production in central Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV

Abstract

The first measurement of the e+e− pair production at midrapidity and low invariant mass in central Pb-Pb collisions at √s<inf>NN</inf> = 5.02 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. The yield of e+e− pairs is compared with a cocktail of expected hadronic decay contributions in the invariant mass (m<inf>ee</inf>) and pair transverse momentum (p<inf>T,ee</inf>) ranges m<inf>ee</inf> < 3.5 GeV/c2 and p<inf>T,ee</inf> < 8 GeV/c. For 0.18 < m<inf>ee</inf> < 0.5 GeV/c2 the ratio of data to the cocktail of hadronic contributions amounts to 1.40 ± 0.11 (stat.) ± 0.23 (syst.) ± 0.16 (cocktail) and 1.42 ± 0.11 (stat.) ± 0.23 (syst.)+0.24<inf>−0.29</inf> (cocktail), including or not including medium effects in the estimation of the heavy-flavor background, respectively. It is consistent with predictions from two different models for an additional contribution of thermal e+e− pairs from the hadronic and partonic phases. In the intermediate-mass range (1.2 < m<inf>ee</inf> < 2.6 GeV/c2), the pair transverse impact parameter of the e+e− pairs (DCA<inf>ee</inf>, where “DCA” denotes “distance of closest approach”) is used for the first time in Pb-Pb collisions to separate displaced dielectrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays from a possible (thermal) contribution produced at the interaction point. The data are consistent with a suppression of e+e− pairs from cc and an additional prompt component. Finally, the first direct-photon measurement in the 10% most central Pb-Pb collisions at √s<inf>NN</inf> = 5.02 TeV is reported via the study of virtual direct photons in the transverse momentum range 1 < p<inf>T</inf> < 5 GeV/c. A model including prompt photons, as well as photons from the preequilibrium and fluid-dynamic phases, can reproduce the result, while being at the upper edge of the data uncertainties. © 2025 CERN, for the ALICE Collaboration