K0S-proton correlations in 5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions at ALICE

Abstract

This paper presents exploratory results from K0S-proton correlations in 5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions at ALICE. To obtain high K0S purity and yields, cuts on pion V0 pairs have been analyzed. An analysis on proton purity as a function of transverse momentum with different nSigma cuts has also been performed. These purities have been used as weights in correlating K0S with protons. The resulting correlation functions show a strong correlation effect that is probably due to `particle mini-jets'. A comparison with K0S-K+ correlation in the same data set confirms that the effect is not due to K0S-p correlation in the particle emitting region. Together with a summary of the findings of this study, suggestions for further research to reduce this `mini-jet' background are also presented.