Search for Nuclear Modifications of (Formula Presented) Meson Production in (Formula Presented)-Pb Collisions at (Formula Presented)

Abstract

Nuclear medium effects on (Formula presented) meson production are studied using the binary-collision scaled cross section ratio between events of different charged-particle multiplicities from proton-lead collisions. Data, collected by the CMS experiment in 2016 at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of (Formula presented), corresponding to an integrated luminosity of (Formula presented), were used. The scaling factors in the ratio are determined using a novel approach based on the (Formula presented) cross sections measured in the same events. The scaled ratio for (Formula presented) is consistent with unity for all event multiplicities, putting stringent constraints on nuclear modification for heavy flavor. © 2025 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration.