La production de photons de grande impulsion transverse lors des collisions proton-proton (p-p), est décrite par la chromodynamique quantique perturbative (pQCD). Parmi ces photons, ceux issus directement d’un processus partonique énergétique (appelés photons directs) sont particulièrement intéressants car leur mesure permet de tester précisément les prédictions de la pQCD et offre la possibilité de mieux contraindre les fonctions de structure du proton. Ce travail de thèse a pour objectif l’étude et la mesure des photons directs produits dans les collisions p-p à 7 TeV avec le détecteur ALICE. Le calorimètre électromagnétique d’ALICE (EMCal), est utilisé pour réaliser cette mesure qui s’appuie notamment sur l’utilisation d’une procédure d’isolement permettant de réduire le bruit de fond provenant des autres modes de production (fragmentation, décroissance). Les aspects relatifs à la qualité des données dans EMCal, à l’identification des photons, mais aussi ceux liés à la correction du spectre ou encore à sa normalisation sont mis en avant. Finalement, la première section efficace de photons isolés mesurée dans les collisions p-p à 7 TeV avec le détecteur ALICE est présentée et comparée avec les prédictions théoriques avant d’être mise en regard avec les résultats issus des autres grandes expériences du LHC. / The high transverse momentum photon production inproton-proton collisions (p-p) is described by perturbativequantum chromodynamics (pQCD). Among thesephotons, those produced directly by an energetic partonicinteraction (called direct photons) are of great interestsince their measurement allows to test pQCDpredictions and it allows also the constraint of protonstructure functions. The work of this thesis aims atstudying and measuring direct photons produced in p-pcollisions at 7 TeV with the ALICE detector. The ALICEelectromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal) is used to achievethis measurement which is based on an isolation procedurethat allows to reduce background coming fromother photon production modes (fragmentation, decay).Multiple aspects like EMCal data quality, photon identificationas well as spectrum correction and its normalizationare highlighted. Finally, the first isolated promptphoton cross-section measured with ALICE detector ispresented, compared to theoretical predictions and tothe last results from other LHC experiments.

Apresentaremos um estudo sobre a produção inclusiva de hádrons em colisões próton-próton (pp), através do espectro pT do momento transverso dos hádrons produzidos. É esperado que em regiões de grande densidade de glúons, que come çam a serem provadas por aceleredores de grande energia, a abordagem tradicional da QCD perturbativa não seja su ciente. Tal regime é caracterizado por fortes campos de cor descritos pela teoria efetiva do condensado de vidro de cor (CGC), mais apropriado neste caso para descrever os observáveis. Consideramos também uma possível extensão do modelo colinear, obtida pela adição de uma distribuição gaussiana inicial, que considera um momento transverso intrínsico anterior à interação dos pártons. Tal abordagem pode corrigir as de ciências do modelo colinear sem que tenhamos que recorrer ao CGC em algumas regiões cinemáticas. O modelo colinear é baseado na consagrada evolução DGLAP das funções de distribuição de pártons, prevendo uma forma de fatorização para calcularmos as seções de choque. Mas, quando consideramos regiões de grande densidade, é provável que outra forma de evolução governe a dinâmica das funções de onda hadrônica, levando estas até um regime saturado. Adentrando nesta região incerta, o modelo de fatorização colinear não é satisfatório e devemos considerar outras formas menos estabelecidas para gerar previsões sobre o espectro pT. Como resultado deste trabalho, comparamos estas abordagens distintas e as confrontamos com dados experimentais do RHIC e LHC. / We present a study of single inclusive hadron production in proton-proton collisions (pp) through the spectra of the transverse moment pT of the produced hadrons. It is expected that in regions of high density of gluons, which begin to be probed by high energy accelerators, the traditional approach of perturbative QCD is not enough. Such a regime is characterized by strong color elds described by the e ective theory of color glass condensate (CGC), more appropriate in this case to describe the observables. We also consider a possible extension of the collinear model, given by the addition of an initial Gaussian distribution, which considers an intrinsic transverse moment prior to the interaction of the partons. Such approach can correct the limitation of the collinear model without having to appeal to CGC in some kinematic regions. The collinear model is based on the established DGLAP evolution of the parton distribution functions, which provides a form of factorization to calculate the cross sections. But when we consider regions of high density, it is likely that another form of evolution governs the dynamics of the hadronic wave functions, guiding them to a saturated regime. Advancing in this uncertain region, the collinear factorization model does not work and we must consider less well-established ways to generate predictions about the pT spectrum. We compare these distinct theoretical approaches and confront their results against the RHIC and LHC data.

Neste trabalho investigamos a produçaõ de pares de leptons( lepton-antil epton) em colisões proton-proton e proton-núcleo para energias dos aceleradores Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) e Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Estes processos de colisão podem ser dividos entre antes e depois do espalhamento, portanto, pode-se analisar os efeitos de estado inicial e de estado nal. No estado nal do processo de colisão, para os aceleradores aqui apresentados, a quantidade de part culas produzidas e muito grande, de forma que uma part cula produzida no processo de espalhamento, que participe da interação forte, pode interagir com este meio antes de ser detectada. Entretanto, e fundamental uma determinação precisa do estado inicial do processo de colisão para que assim a investigação da produção de particulas no estado nal possa ser realizada. Neste contexto, a produção de pares de leptons (dileptons Drell-Yan) possui grande relevância, tendo em vista que não participa da interaçaõ forte, logo pode ser detectada sem sofrer efeitos de estado nal, carregando informações claras do estado inicial do processo de colisão. Para energias de RHIC e LHC, a densidada de quarks e gl uons nos h adrons colisores e muito grande, de tal forma que efeitos de estado inicial de alta densidade podem ser percebidos na produçaõ de partículas no estado nal. Este e o principal objetivo desta tese, utilizar os dileptons como observ avel para investigar os efeitos de alta densidade, ou seja, efeitos de unitariedade em colis~oes pr oton-pr oton, efeitos de saturação partônica descritos pelo Condensado de Vidros de Cor em colisões próton-núcleo. Além destes efeitos, os efeitos nucleares de baixa densidade, presentes em colisões próton-núcleo, também são investigados. Ou seja, utiliza-se um observável eletromagnético, para investigar as propriedades da QCD em colisões hadrônicas. Mais especi camente, as distribuições de momentum transverso e rapidez são investigadas para energias de RHIC e LHC. A produção de dileptons e calculada utilizando o formalismo de dipolos de cor e tamb em a teoria do Condensado de Vidros de cor. Os resultados obtidos nesta tese mostram a potencialidade deste observ avel para se investigar a QCD de alta densidade e indicam a urgente necessidade de medidas com relação a este observável nos experimentos existentes em colisões hadrônicas para altas energias. / In this work, the lepton pair production (lepton-antilepton) in proton-proton and protonnucleus collisions is investigated for Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) colliders energies. These collisions processes can be classi ed between before and after the scattergins, therefore, initial and nal states e ects can be analyzed. In the nal stare, for the colliders here presented, the number of produced particles is large, then a particle produced in the scattering process, which interact strogly, could interact with the medium before being detected. However, it is very important to determine the initial state of the collision process, thus to determine the particle production in the nal state. In this context, the lepton pair production (dileptons Drell-Yan), which does not interact strolgly, should carry indisturbed information about the inicial state system of the collision process. For RHIC and LHC, the quarks and gluons hadrons densities in the initial state of the collision processes is large, such that high density initial state e ects should a ect the particle production in the nal state. This is the main goal of this thesis, use the dilepron production to investigate the high density e exts. This implies in to investigate the unitarity e ects in the proton-proton collisions, the Color Glass Condensate in the proton-nucleus collisions. Moreover, the low density e ects in proton-nucleus collisions are under investigation in this thesis. The main point of this thesis, is that a eletromagnetic observable is considered to investigare the properties of the QCD in hadronic collisions. Speci cally, the transverse momentum and the rapidity distributions are investigated. The dilepton production is evaluated by means of the dipole picture and through the Color Glass Condensate theory. The results obtained in this thesis show that dilepton production is an observable that deserves to be measured in the hadronic colliders at high energies, once it carries clear informations about the QCD system at high density.

Observations of gamma-rays have been made from celestial sources such as active galaxies, gamma-ray bursts and supernova remnants as well as the Galactic ridge. The study of gamma rays can provide information about production mechanisms and cosmic-ray acceleration. In the high-energy regime, one of the dominant mechanisms for gamma-ray production is the decay of neutral pions produced in interactions of ultra-relativistic cosmic-ray nuclei and interstellar matter. Presented here is a parametric model for calculations of inclusive cross sections and transverse momentum distributions for secondary particles - gamma rays, elecrons, positrons, electron neutrinos, electron antineutrinos, muon neutrinos and muon antineutrinos - produced in proton-proton interactions. This parametric model is derived on the proton-proton interaction model proposed by Kamae et al.; it includes the diffraction dissociation process, Feynman-scaling violation and the logarithmically rising inelastic proton-proton cross section. To improve fidelity to experimental data for lower energies, two baryon resonance excitation processes were added; one representing the Delta(1232) and the other multiple resonances with masses around 1600 MeV/c^2. The model predicts the power-law spectral index for all secondary particles to be about 0.05 lower in absolute value than that of the incident proton and their inclusive cross sections to be larger than those predicted by previous models based on the Feynman-scaling hypothesis. The applications of the presented model in astrophysics are plentiful. It has been implemented into the Galprop code to calculate the contribution due to pion decays in the Galactic plane. The model has also been used to estimate the cosmic-ray flux in the Large Magellanic Cloud based on HI, CO and gamma-ray observations. The transverse momentum distributions enable calculations when the proton distribution is anisotropic. It is shown that the gamma-ray spectrum and flux due to a pencil beam of protons varies drastically with viewing angle. A fanned proton jet with a Gaussian intensity profile impinging on surrounding material is given as a more realistic example. As the observer is moved off the jet axis, the peak of the spectrum is moved to lower energies. / QC 20100803

Le plasma de quarks et de gluons (QGP) est un état de la matière nucléaire apparaissant à hautedensité d'énergie. En laboratoire, il est possible de reproduire de telles conditions grâce aux collisionsd'ions lourds aux énergies ultra-relativistes. ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) estl'expérience du LHC dédiée à la mise en évidence du QGP.Différentes signatures ont été proposées et étudiées expérimentalement comme manifestations duQGP. Parmi celles-ci, le méson J/ψ joue un rôle central. Il fait partie de la famille des quarkonia,états mésoniques (Q¯Q) formées d'un quark lourd c ou b et de son anti-quark, liés par un potentield'interaction forte. En 1986, Matsui et Satz proposèrent la suppression des charmonia (états liés cc)et notamment du J/ψ comme signature de la formation du plasma de quarks et de gluons.ALICE peut détecter le J/ψ à grande rapidité (2.5 < y < 4) via le canal de désintégration en deuxmuons. Cette thèse porte sur la mesure de la production du J/ψ, via le canal muonique, dans lescollisions pp à une énergie dans le centre de masse de 2.76 et 7 TeV. Elle a exploité les donnéesacquises en 2010 et 2011 auprès du collisionneur LHC.Tenter d'appréhender le mécanisme de production du J/ψ (et plus généralement du quarkonium)dans les collisions pp est un préalable nécessaire avant d'aborder le degré de complexité suivantque constitue le cas des collisions noyau-noyau. Il est également un test important pour la QuantumChromo Dynamics (QCD), la théorie de l'interaction forte, aux énergies très élevées du LHC.

A measurement of J/\Psi polarization has been performed for 200 GeV proton+proton collisions with the PHENIX Muon Arms at RHIC. The results from the current data show no polarization within the PHENIX acceptance range. The results are consistent with the current model predictions and other experimental measurements.

Over the last few decades, the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics has been used as a means of understanding the world around us. However, there is an increasing amount of data that suggests the SM of particle physics only describes nature up to energies of the electroweak scale. Extensions to the SM have been developed as a means of explaining experimental observation. If these extensions are indeed the correct mathematical descriptions of nature, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva, Switzerland, is expected to produce new and exciting physics signatures that can shed light on the evolution of our universe since the early hypothesized Big Bang. Of particular interest are models that may lead to events with highly energetic tau lepton pairs. In this dissertation, focus is placed on a possible search for new heavy gauge bosons decaying to highly energetic tau pairs using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb^-1 of proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The number of observed events in the data is in good agreement with the predictions for SM background processes. In the context of the Sequential SM, a Z0 with mass less than 468 GeV/c^2 is excluded at 95 percent credibility level, exceeding the sensitivity by the Tevatron experiments at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

Thesis--Ph. D., University of Hong Kong, 1983.

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published_or_final_version / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy