${\Lambda }_c^{\pm }$ production in pp collisions with a new fragmentation function

Abstract

We study inclusive ${\Lambda }_c^{\pm }$-baryon production in $pp$ collisions in the general-mass variable-flavor number scheme and compare with data from the LHCb, ALICE and CMS collaborations. We perform a new fit of the $c\to {\Lambda }_c^{+}$ fragmentation function combining $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ data from OPAL and Belle. The agreement with LHC data is slightly worse compared with a calculation using an older fragmentation function, and the tension between different determinations of ${\Lambda }_c^{\pm }$ production cross sections from the LHC experimental collaborations is not resolved. The ratio of data for ${\Lambda }_c^{+}$-baryon and $D^0$-meson production seems to violate the universality of $c$-charm quark to $c$-hadron fragmentation.

Comments: 21 pages