Study of bottom quark dynamics via non-prompt $D^0$ and $J/\psi$ in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV

Abstract

We study bottom quark energy loss via the nuclear modification factor ($R_{\mathrm{AA}}$) and elliptic flow ($v_2$) of non-prompt $D^0$ and $J/\psi$ in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. The space-time profile of quark-gluon plasma is obtained from the CLVisc hydrodynamics simulation, the dynamical evolution of heavy quarks inside the color deconfined QCD medium is simulated using a linear Boltzmann transport model that combines Yukawa and string potentials of heavy-quark-medium interactions, the hadronization of heavy quarks is performed using a hybrid coalescence-fragmentation model, and the decay of $B$ mesons is simulated via PYTHIA. Using this numerical framework, we calculate the transverse momentum ($p_{\mathrm{T}}$) dependent $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$ and $v_2$ of direct $D$ mesons, $B$ mesons, and non-prompt $D^0$ and $J/\psi$ from $B$ meson decay in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV. We find the mass hierarchy of the nuclear modification of prompt $D$ and $B$ mesons depends on their $p_{\mathrm{T}}$. Both $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$ and $v_2$ of heavy flavor particles show strong $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ and centrality dependences due to the interplay between parton energy loss, medium geometry and flow, and hadronization of heavy quarks. Non-prompt $D^0$ and $J/\psi$ share similar patterns of $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$ and $v_2$ to $B$ mesons except for a $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ shift during the decay processes. Therefore, future more precise measurements on non-prompt $D^0$ and $J/\psi$ can help further pin down the bottom quark dynamics inside the quark-gluon plasma.

Comments: 11 pages,8 figures