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The pT-differential production cross sections of prompt and non-prompt (produced in beauty-hadron decays) D mesons were measured by the ALICE experiment at midrapidity (|y|< 0.5) in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 5.02 TeV. The data sample used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of (19.3 ± 0.4) nb−1. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D0→ K−π+, D+→ K−π+π+, and $$ {\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}}^{+}\to \upphi {\uppi}^{+}\to {\mathrm{K}}^{-}{\mathrm{K}}^{+}{\uppi}^{+} $$ D s + → ϕ π + → K − K + π + and their charge conjugates. Compared to previous measurements in the same rapidity region, the cross sections of prompt D+ and $$ {\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}}^{+} $$ D s + mesons have an extended pT coverage and total uncertainties reduced by a factor ranging from 1.05 to 1.6, depending on pT, allowing for a more precise determination of their pT-integrated cross sections. The results are well described by perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of heavy quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, fs/(fu + fd), is compatible for charm and beauty quarks and with previous measurements at different centre-of-mass energies and collision systems. The $$ \mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}} $$ b b ¯ production cross section per rapidity unit at midrapidity, estimated from non-prompt D-meson measurements, is $$ \mathrm{d}{\sigma}_{\mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}}}/\mathrm{d}y\left|{}_{\left|\mathrm{y}\right|<0.5}=34.5\pm 2.4{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-2.9}^{+4.7}\left(\mathrm{tot}.\mathrm{syst}\right)\right. $$ d σ b b ¯ / d y y < 0.5 = 34.5 ± 2.4 stat − 2.9 + 4.7 tot . syst μb. It is compatible with previous measurements at the same centre-of-mass energy and with the cross section pre- dicted by perturbative QCD calculations.

Secondary discharges, which consist of the breakdown of a gap near a GEM foil upon a primary discharge across that GEM, are studied in this work.Their main characteristics are the occurrence a few 10 µs after the primary, the relatively sharp onset at moderate electric fields across the gap, the absence of increased fields in the system, and their occurrence under both field directions.They can be mitigated using series resistors in the high-voltage connection to the GEM electrode facing towards an anode. The electric field at which the onset of secondary discharges occurs indeed increases with increasing resistance. Discharge propagation form GEM to GEM in a multi-GEM system affects the occurrence probability of secondary discharges in the gaps between neighbouring GEMs.Furthermore, evidence of charges flowing through the gap after the primary discharge are reported. Such currents may or may not lead to a secondary discharge. A characteristic charge, of the order of 1 × 10 10 electrons, has been measured as the threshold for a primary discharge to be followed by a secondary discharge, and this number slightly depends on the gas composition. A mechanism involving the heating of the cathode surface as trigger for secondary discharges is proposed. 1 When using above (below, respectively) a GEM we refer to the gap in the vicinity of the GEM with lower or more negative (higher or more positive, respectively) electrical potential.

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The coherent photoproduction of $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ and $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′ mesons was measured in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy $$\sqrt{s_{\mathrm {NN}}}~=~5.02$$ s NN = 5.02  TeV  with the ALICE detector. Charmonia are detected in the central rapidity region for events where the hadronic interactions are strongly suppressed. The $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ is reconstructed using the dilepton ($$l^{+} l^{-}$$ l + l - ) and proton–antiproton decay channels, while for the $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′   the dilepton and the $$l^{+} l^{-} \pi ^{+} \pi ^{-}$$ l + l - π + π - decay channels are studied. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 233 $$\mu {\mathrm{b}}^{-1}$$ μ b - 1 . The results are compared with theoretical models for coherent $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ and $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′ photoproduction. The coherent cross section is found to be in a good agreement with models incorporating moderate nuclear gluon shadowing of about 0.64 at a Bjorken-x of around $$6\times 10^{-4}$$ 6 × 10 - 4 , such as the EPS09 parametrization, however none of the models is able to fully describe the rapidity dependence of the coherent $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ cross section including ALICE measurements at forward rapidity. The ratio of $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′ to $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ coherent photoproduction cross sections was also measured and found to be consistent with the one for photoproduction off protons.