Predicting parton energy loss in small collision systems

Abstract

Medium induced parton energy loss is not conclusively established either in very peripheral heavy-ion collisions or in proton-ion collisions. However, the standard interpretation of azimuthal momentum anisotropies in these systems implies some partonic rescattering. The upcoming light-ion runs at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provide a unique opportunity to search for parton energy loss in different systems of similar size. Here, we make predictions for the expected parton energy loss signal in the charged hadron spectra in a system size scan at LHC. We test a large set of model assumptions against the transverse momentum and centrality dependence of the charged hadron nuclear modification factor in lead-lead and xenon-xenon collisions at the LHC. We then attempt to make a model agnostic prediction for the charged hadron nuclear modification factor in oxygen-oxygen collisions.