Parton shadowing and $J/\psi$-to-Drell-Yan ratio in nuclear collisions at SPS and FAIR

Abstract

We have analyzed the data on $J/\psi$-to-Drell-Yan production cross section ratio in proton-nucleus ($p+A$) and nucleus-nucleus ($A+A$) collisions, measured by the NA50 collaboration in the SPS energy domain. Two component QVZ model has been employed to calculate $J/\psi$ production cross sections. For both $J/\psi$ and Drell-Yan production, nuclear modifications to the free nucleon structure functions are taken into account. In heavy-ion collisions, such modifications are assumed to be proportional to the local nuclear density resulting in centrality dependent initial state effects. Differences in quark and gluon shadowing leads to a new source of impact parameter dependence of the $J/\psi$ to Drell-Yan production ratio. For $J/\psi$, final state interaction of the produced $c\bar{c}$ pairs with the nuclear medium is also taken into account. A satisfactory description of the data in both $p+A$ and $A+A$ collisions is obtained. Role of the shadowing corrections are investigated in detail. Model calculations are extrapolated to predict the centrality dependence of $J/\psi$-to-Drell-Yan ratio in the FAIR energy regime.