Heavy Quark Production in Heavy Ion Colliders

Abstract

We describe updated calculations of $Q \bar Q$ production in $pp$ and $\pi^- p$ interactions. We compare these results to total cross section data and discuss how the baseline cross sections extrapolate to heavy ion collider energies. We touch upon the differences between leading and next-to-leading order heavy quark production. Finally, we discuss the implications of our calculations for quarkonium production. Our discussion here focuses on bottom quarks.