Probing the hadronic phase with resonances of different lifetimes in Pb-Pb collisions with ALICE

Abstract

The ALICE experiment has measured the production of a rich set of hadronic resonances, such as $\rho(770)^{0}$, ${\rm K}^{\ast}(892)^{0}$, $\phi$(1020), $\Sigma^{\pm}$(1385), $\Lambda(1520)$ and $\Xi^{\ast 0}$ in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at various energies at the LHC. A comprehensive overview and the latest results are presented in this paper. Special focus is given to the role of hadronic resonances for the study of final-state effects in high-energy collisions. In particular, the measurement of resonance production in heavy-ion collisions has the capability to provide insight into the existence of a prolonged hadronic phase after hadronisation. The observation of the suppression of the production of $\Lambda(1520)$ resonance in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV adds further support to the existence of such a dense hadronic phase, as already evidenced by the ratios ${\rm K}^{\ast}(892)^{0}$/${\rm K}$ and $\rho(770)^{0}$/$\pi$.