Effect of $\alpha$-clusters on particle production in O$-$O and p$-$O collisions at LHC energies

Abstract

In the present work, O$-$O collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7 TeV and p$-$O collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 9.9 TeV are studied using PYTHIA8/Angantyr model for heavy-ion collisions. The theoretically predicted $\alpha$-cluster structure of oxygen nucleus is implemented in the model to investigate the effect of initial configuration of oxygen nucleus on final state observables. The results obtained from $\alpha$-cluster structure are compared with those obtained from Woods-Saxon nuclear charge density distribution. The Angantyr model simulation showed that the radial distribution of oxygen nucleus in $\alpha$-cluster configuration is more compact in comparison to the Woods-Saxon distribution. The results on charged and identified particle pseudorapidity distribution is obtained in the two initial state configuration of the oxygen nucleus. The results demonstrated that the effect of initial geometrical configuration is more distinct in the non-central collisions in comparison to the central collisions for both O$-$O and p$-$O collisions.