Abstract: Multi-particle azimuthal cumulants are measured as a function of centrality and transverse momentum using 470 μb(-1) of Pb+Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. These cumulants provide information on the event-by-event fluctuations of harmonic flow coefficients v(n) and correlated fluctuations between two harmonics v(n) and v(m). For the first time, a non-zero four-particle cumulant is observed for dipolar flow, v(1). The four-particle cumulants for elliptic flow, v(2), and triangular flow, v(3), exhibit a strong centrality dependence and change sign in ultra-central collisions. This sign change is consistent with significant non-Gaussian fluctuations in v(2) and v(3). The four-particle cumulant for quadrangular flow, v(4), is found to change sign in mid-central collisions. Correlations between two harmonics are studied with three- and four-particle mixed-harmonic cumulants, which indicate an anti-correlation between v(2) and v(3), and a positive correlation between v(2) and v(4). These correlations decrease in strength towards central collisions and either approach zero or change sign in ultra-central collisions. To investigate the possible flow fluctuations arising from intrinsic centrality or volume fluctuations, the results are compared between two different event classes used for centrality definitions. In peripheral and mid-central collisions where the cumulant signals are large, only small differences are observed. In ultra-central collisions, the differences are much larger and transverse momentum dependent. These results provide new information to disentangle flow fluctuations from the initial and final states, as well as new insights on the influence of centrality fluctuations.

Abstract: Exclusive production of dielectron pairs, gamma gamma -> e(+) e(-), is studied using L-int = 1.72 nb(-1) of data from ultraperipheral collisions of lead nuclei at root s(NN) = 5.02TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The process of interest proceeds via photon-photon interactions in the strong electromagnetic fields of relativistic lead nuclei. Dielectron production is measured in the fiducial region defined by following requirements: electron transverse momentum p(T)(e) > 2.5 GeV, absolute electron pseudorapidity |eta(e)| < 2.5, dielectron invariant mass m(ee) > 5 GeV, and dielectron transverse momentum p(T)(ee) < 2 GeV. Differential cross-sections are measured as a function of mee, average peT, absolute dielectron rapidity |y(ee)|, and scattering angle in the dielectron rest frame, | cos theta* |, in the inclusive sample, and also with a requirement of no activity in the forward direction. The total integrated fiducial cross-section is measured to be 215 +/- 1(stat.) (+23)(-20)(syst.) +/- 4(lumi.) μb. Within experimental uncertainties the measured integrated cross-section is in good agreement with the QED predictions from the Monte Carlo programs Starlight and SuperChic, confirming the broad features of the initial photon fluxes. The differential cross-sections show systematic differences from these predictions which are more pronounced at high |y(ee)| and | cos theta* | values.

Abstract: We consider an idealized situation where the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) is described by a perfect, (3 + 1)-dimensional fluid dynamic model starting from an initial state and expanding until a final state where freeze-out and/or hadronization takes place. We study the entropy production with attention to effects of (i) numerical viscosity, (ii) late stages of flow where the Bag Constant and the partonic pressure are becoming similar, (iii) and the consequences of final freeze-out and constituent quark matter formation.

Abstract: This article presents the first measurement of the differential Z-boson production cross-section in the forward region using proton-lead collisions with the LHCb detector. The dataset was collected at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of root(NN)-N-s = 8.16TeV in 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 30.8 nb(-1). The forward-backward ratio and the nuclear modification factors are measured together with the differential crosssection as functions of the Z boson rapidity in the centre-of-mass frame, the transverse momentum of the Z boson and a geometric variable phi*. The results are in good agreement with the predictions from nuclear parton distribution functions, providing strong constraining power at small Bjorken-x.

Abstract: The first observation of Z boson production in proton-lead collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per proton-nucleon pair of root(s) N N = 5TeV is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.6 nb(-1) collected with the LHCb detector. The Z candidates are reconstructed from pairs of oppositely charged muons with pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.5 and transverse momenta above 20 GeV/c. The invariant dimuon mass is restricted to the range 60-120 GeV/c. The Z production cross-section is measured to be sigma(Z ->mu+mu-) (fwd) = 13.5(-4.0)(+5.4)(stat.) +/- 1.2(syst.) nb in the direction of the proton beam and sigma(Z ->mu+mu-) (bwd) = 10.7(-5.1)(+8.4)(stat.) +/- 1.0(syst.) nb in the direction of the lead beam, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.