The role of the underlying event in the $\Lambda_c^{+}$ enhancement in high-energy pp collisions

Abstract

We study the enhanced production of charmed baryons relative to charmed mesons in proton--proton collisions at LHC energies. Utilizing PYTHIA 8 simulations with enhanced color-reconnection we propose methods based on the comparative use of several event-activity classifiers to identify the source of the charmed-baryon enhancement. We also conclude that in the scenario under investigation the excess $\Lambda_c^{+}$ production is primarily linked to the underlying event activity and not to the production of jets.