This publication describes the methods used to measure the centrality of inelastic Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 2.76 TeV per colliding nucleon pair with ALICE. The centrality is a key parameter in the study of the properties of QCD matter at extreme temperature and energy density, because it is directly related to the initial overlap region of the colliding nuclei. Geometrical properties of the collision, such as the number of participating nucleons and the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, are deduced from a Glauber model with a sharp impact parameter selection and shown to be consistent with those extracted from the data. The centrality determination provides a tool to compare ALICE measurements with those of other experiments and with theoretical calculations.

In this paper measurements are presented of π ± , K ± , p, andp production at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5), in Pb-Pb collisions at √ s NN = 2.76 TeV as a function of centrality. The measurement covers the transverse-momentum (p T ) range from 100, 200, and 300 MeV/c up to 3, 3, and 4.6 GeV/c for π , K, and p, respectively. The measured p T distributions and yields are compared to expectations based on hydrodynamic, thermal and recombination models. The spectral shapes of central collisions show a stronger radial flow than measured at lower energies, which can be described in hydrodynamic models. In peripheral collisions, the p T distributions are not well reproduced by hydrodynamic models. Ratios of integrated particle yields are found to be nearly independent of centrality. The yield of protons normalized to pions is a factor ∼1.5 lower than the expectation from thermal models.

We present the perturbative renormalization group functions of O(n)-symmetric φ 4 theory in 4 − 2ε dimensions to the sixth loop order in the minimal subtraction scheme. In addition, we estimate diagrams without subdivergences up to 11 loops and compare these results with the asymptotic behaviour of the beta function. Furthermore we perform a resummation to obtain estimates for critical exponents in three and two dimensions.

The ALICE Collaboration at the LHC has measured the J/ψ and ψ′ photoproduction at mid-rapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at .The charmonium is identified via its leptonic decay for events where the hadronic activity is required to be minimal. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 23 μb−1. The cross section for coherent and incoherent J/ψ production in the rapidity interval −0.9

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Centrality dependence of the pseudorapidity density distribution for charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at √ s NN = 2.76 TeV ✩ .ALICE Collaboration a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c tWe present the first wide-range measurement of the charged-particle pseudorapidity density distribution, for different centralities (the 0-5%, 5-10%, 10-20%, and 20-30% most central events) in Pb-Pb collisions at √ s NN = 2.76 TeV at the LHC. The measurement is performed using the full coverage of the ALICE detectors, −5.0 < η < 5.5, and employing a special analysis technique based on collisions arising from LHC 'satellite' bunches. We present the pseudorapidity density as a function of the number of participating nucleons as well as an extrapolation to the total number of produced charged particles (N ch = 17 165 ± 772 for the 0-5% most central collisions). From the measured dN ch /dη distribution we derive the rapidity density distribution, dN ch /dy, under simple assumptions. The rapidity density distribution is found to be significantly wider than the predictions of the Landau model. We assess the validity of longitudinal scaling by comparing to lower energy results from RHIC. Finally the mechanisms of the underlying particle production are discussed based on a comparison with various theoretical models.ICE detector. The employed method relies on using so-called 'satellite' bunch collisions and is based on measurements from three ✩ © CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. different ALICE sub-detectors. This method is applicable for the 30% most central events where the trigger efficiency for these 'satellite' collisions remains high. These measurements extend considerably the former results obtained at the LHC [8-10] and can be compared to the wealth of results on the charged-particle pseudorapidity density from lower energy Au-Au collisions at RHIC [6,11, 12] as well as model calculations. Experimental setupA detailed description of the ALICE detector can be found in [13]. In the following, we will briefly describe the detectors used in this analysis, namely the Silicon Pixel Detector (SPD), the Forward Multiplicity Detector (FMD), the VZERO, and the Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC) (see Fig. 1).The SPD is the innermost element of the ALICE inner tracking system [13]. It consists of two cylindrical layers of hybrid silicon pixel assemblies positioned at radial distances of 3.9 and 7.6 cm from the beam line, with a total of 9.8 × 10 6 pixels of size 50 × 425 μm 2 , read out by 1200 electronic chips. The SPD coverage for particles originating from the nominal interaction point at the center of the detector is |η| < 2 and |η| < 1.4 for the inner and outer layers, respectively.The VZERO detector [14] consists of two arrays of 32 scintillator tiles (4 rings of increasing radii each with 8 azimuthal sectors) placed at distances of 3.3 m (VZERO-A) and −0.9 m (VZERO-C) from the nominal interaction point along the beam axis, covering the full azimuth within 2.8 < η < 5.1 and −3.7 < η < −1.7, 0370-2693/

We report on a completely analytical calculation of the field anomalous dimension γ ϕ and the critical exponent η for the O(n)-symmetric ϕ 4 model at the record six loop level. We successfully compare our result for γ ϕ with n = 1 with the predictions based on the method of the Borel resummation combined with a conformal mapping [Kazakov/Shirkov/Tarasov (1979)]. Predictions for seven loop contribution to the field anomalous dimensions are given.

The ratios of yields of anti-baryons to baryons probes the mechanisms of baryon-number transport. Results for p/p, / , + / − and + / − in pp collisions at √ s = 0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV, measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC, are reported. Within the experimental uncertainties and ranges covered by our measurement, these ratios are independent of rapidity, transverse momentum and multiplicity for all measured energies. The results are compared to expectations from event generators, such as PYTHIA and HIJING/B, that are used to model the particle production in pp collisions. The energy dependence of p/p, / , + / − and + / − , reaching values compatible with unity for √ s = 7 TeV, complement the earlier p/p measurement of ALICE. These dependencies can be described by exchanges with the Regge-trajectory intercept of α J ≈ 0.5, which are suppressed with increasing rapidity interval y. Any significant contribution of an exchange not suppressed at large y (reached at LHC energies) is disfavoured.