%0 Chart or Table
%A ALICE Collaboration
%T K<sup>*</sup>(892)<sup>±</sup> resonance production in Pb−Pb collisions at √{s<sub>NN</sub>} = 5.02 TeV
%M GSI-2025-00268
%D 2024
%X The production of K<sup>*</sup>(892)<sup>±</sup> meson resonance is measured at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) in Pb-Pb collisions at √{s<sub>NN</sub>}=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K<sup>*</sup>(892)<sup>±</sup> → K<sup>0</sup><sub>S</sub> π<sup>±</sup>. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the p<sub>T</sub> range of 0.4-16 GeV/c. The reported measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K<sup>*</sup>(892)<sup>0</sup>. The p<sub>T</sub>-integrated yield ratio 2K<sup>*</sup>(892)<sup>±</sup>/(K<sup>+</sup> + K<sup>−</sup>) in central Pb-Pb collisions shows a significant suppression (9.3σ) relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations overpredict the particle yield ratio. Although both simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas MUSIC+SMASH tends to overpredict them. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields of light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which increases towards central collisions. The p<sub>T</sub>-differential yield ratios 2K<sup>*</sup>(892)<sup>±</sup>/(K<sup>+</sup> + K<sup>−</sup>) and 2K<sup>*</sup>(892)<sup>±</sup>/(π<sup>+</sup> + π<sup>−</sup>) are suppressed by up to a factor of five at p<sub>T</sub> < 2 GeV/c in central Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions at √s =  5.02 TeV. Both particle ratios and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is below unity at p<sub>T</sub> > 8 GeV/c, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)32
%9 Dataset
%R 10.17182/HEPDATA.150017
%U https://repository.gsi.de/record/356888