Investigating Hard Splittings via Jet Substructure in pp and Pb--Pb Collisions at $\\sqrt{s_{\\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV with ALICE

Abstract

Jets lose energy as they propagate through the Quark-Gluon Plasma, modifying their parton shower. Jet substructure, which provides access to the evolution of jet splittings, is expected to be sensitive to interactions between the medium and the jet, providing the opportunity to further constrain both jet and medium properties. By utilizing grooming techniques, we can focus on the most pertinent hard splittings. Of particular interest is the search for large transverse momentum kicks which may indicate the presence of point-like scatters within the Quark-Gluon Plasma. We explore the jet substructure of inclusive jets in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at $\\sqrt{s_{\\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV, utilizing Soft Drop and other grooming methods, as well as the Lund Plane, in order to access the hardest jet splitting, with a particular focus on the hardest $k_{\\mathrm{T}}$ splitting.