Abstract
The production cross sections of D0, D+, and Λ+c hadrons originating from beautyhadron decays (i.e. non-prompt) were measured for the frst time at midrapidity in proton–lead (p–Pb) collisions at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of √sNN = 5.02 TeV. Nuclear modifcation factors (RpPb) of non-prompt D0, D+, and Λ+c are calculated as a function of the transverse momentum (pT) to investigate the modifcation of the momentum spectra measured in p–Pb collisions with respect to those measured in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the same energy. The RpPb measurements are compatible with unity and with the measurements in the prompt charm sector, and do not show a signifcant pT dependence. The pT-integrated cross sections and pT-integrated RpPb of non-prompt D0 and D+ mesons are also computed by extrapolating the visible cross sections down to pT = 0. The non-prompt D-meson RpPb integrated over pT is compatible with unity and with model calculations implementing modifcation of the parton distribution functions of nucleons bound in nuclei with respect to free nucleons. The non-prompt Λ+c /D0 and D+/D0 production ratios are computed to investigate hadronisation mechanisms of beauty quarks into mesons and baryons. The measured ratios as a function of pT display a similar trend to that measured for charm hadrons in the same collision system.
