Inclusive heavy quark photoproduction in $pp$, $pPb$ and $PbPb$ collisions at Run 2 LHC energies

Abstract

In this paper we present a comprehensive analysis of the inclusive heavy quark photoproduction in $pp$, $pPb$ and $PbPb$ collisions at Run 2 LHC energies using the Color Dipole formalism. The rapidity distributions and total cross sections for the charm and bottom production are estimated considering the more recent phenomenological models for the dipole - proton scattering amplitude, which are based on the Color Glass Condensate formalism and are able to describe the inclusive and exclusive $ep$ HERA data. Moreover, we present, by the first time, the predictions for the transverse momentum distributions of the $D$ and $B$ mesons produced in the photon -- induced interactions.