Jet-associated deuteron production in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV

Deuteron production in high-energy collisions is sensitive to the space-time evolution of the collision system, and is typically described by a coalescence mechanism. For the first time, we present results on jet-associated deuteron production in pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV, providing an opportunity to test the established picture for deuteron production in events with a hard scattering. Using a trigger particle with high transverse-momentum (p(T) > 5 GeV/c) as a proxy for the presence of a jet at midrapidity, we observe a measurable population of deuterons being produced around the jet proxy. The associated deuteron yield measured in a narrow angular range around the trigger particle differs by 2.4-4.8 standard deviations from the uncorrelated background. The data are described by PYTHIA model calculations featuring baryon coalescence. (C) 2021 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.