Event-by-event mean p_T fluctuations in pp and Pb-Pb collisions measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC

Abstract

Non-statistical event-by-event fluctuations of the mean transverse momentum of charged particles in pp and Pb-Pb collisions are studied using the ALICE experiment at the LHC. Little collision energy dependence is observed in pp. The data indicate a common scaling behaviour with event multiplicity from pp to semi-central Pb-Pb collisions. In central Pb-Pb, the results deviate from this trend, exhibiting a significant reduction of the fluctuation strength. The results are compared with measurements in Au-Au collisions at lower energies and with Monte Carlo simulations.