First measurement of Ω0c production in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Abstract

The inclusive production of the charm–strange baryo nΩ0c is measured for the first time via its hadronic decay into Ω−π+ at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy√s = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT ) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2 < pT < 12 GeV/c. The pT dependence of the Ω0c -baryon production relative to the prompt D 0 -meson and to the prompt Ξ0c-baryon production is compared to various models that take different hadronisation mechanisms into consideration. In the measured pT interval, the ratio of the pT -integrated cross sections of Ω0c and prompt Λ+c baryons multiplied by the Ω−π+ branching ratio is found to be larger by a factor of about 20 with a significance of about 4σ when compared to e+e− collisions.