TMD gluon density in nuclei versus experimental data on heavy flavor production at LHC

Abstract

Analytical expressions for the Transverse Momentum Dependent (TMD, or unintegrated) gluon and sea quark densities in nuclei are derived at leading order of QCD running coupling. The calculations are performed in the framework of the rescaling model and Kimber-Martin-Ryskin (KMR) prescription, where the Bessel-inspired behavior of parton densities at small Bjorken x values, obtained in the case of flat initial conditions in the double scaling QCD approximation, is applied. The derived expressions are used to evaluate the inclusive heavy flavor production in proton-lead collisions at the LHC. We find a good agreement of our results with latest experimental data collected by the CMS and ALICE Collaborations at s=5.02 GeV.

Keywords

• Heavy quarks
• High-energy factorization
• TMD gluon densities
• Kimber-Martin-Ryskin approach
• EMC effect