Transverse momentum dependence of inclusive primary charged-particle production in p–Pb collisions at sNN=5.02TeV

The transverse momentum ( <math><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub></math> ) distribution of primary charged particles is measured at midrapidity in minimum-bias p–Pb collisions at <math><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">NN</mi></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>5.02</mn></mrow></math>  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC in the range <math><mrow><mn>0.15</mn><mo>&lt;</mo><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub><mo>&lt;</mo><mn>50</mn></mrow></math>  GeV/ <math><mi>c</mi></math> . The spectra are compared to the expectation based on binary collision scaling of particle production in pp collisions, leading to a nuclear modification factor consistent with unity for <math><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub></math> larger than 2 GeV/ <math><mi>c</mi></math> , with a weak indication of a Cronin-like enhancement for <math><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub></math> around 4 <math><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">GeV</mi><mspace width="-0.166667em"/><mo stretchy="false">/</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow></math> . The measurement is compared to theoretical calculations and to data in Pb–Pb collisions at <math><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">NN</mi></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>2.76</mn></mrow></math>  TeV.