Production of φ Mesons as a Function of Multiplicity & Spherocity

Abstract: The purpose of this project is to further investigate whether the collective behavior observed in high energy proton-proton (p-p) collision can be attributed to the formation of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). This is done by measuring the production rate of the strange φ meson in high multiplicity p-p collisions at √sNN = 13 TeV. The high multiplicity p-p events are then divided into different transverse spherocity bins, in order to gauge whether the φ production is dominated by events that are geometrically characterized as jet-like or isotropic. The results, although leaving some questions to be asked regarding the simulated detector efficiency, present a pronounced enhancement of φ mesons in high multiplicity collisions, and further state that the strangeness enhancement is dominated by events with an overall isotropic shape. These findings suggest that Lund string-like models might be inadequate at fully describing high multiplicity p-p collisions. It also gives further support to the idea that the preferred mechanism of φ particle production might follow a statistical, hydrodynamical model, through the formation of a QGP phase.