Speaker
Description
Quarkonia production in high-energy proton-proton (pp) collisions serves as an impor
tant probe for studying quantum chromodynamics (QCD) in vacuum. Understanding
the production mechanism of the J/ψ, a bound state of a charm and anticharm quark,
is essential for constraining both perturbative and non-perturbative aspects of QCD cal
culations. The polarization of quarkonia in pp collisions is a powerful observable for
distinguishing between various QCD-based models of quarkonium production. Further
more, J/ψ polarization measurements in pp collisions provide a valuable reference for
investigating the behavior of charmonium in the quark-gluon plasma formed in nucleus
nucleus collisions.
In this contribution, we will present the first preliminary results of the inclusive J/ψ
polarization measurement via the dielectron decay channel at midrapidity ($|y| < $ 0.9) in
pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13.6$ TeV. This analysis is based on data collected by
the upgraded ALICE detector and benefits from the high luminosity collected during the
first three years of LHC Run 3. It offers significantly higher statistics compared to the one
available from previous pp data collected during the Run 2 of LHC, allowing for the first
J/ψ polarization measurement at midrapidity. This analysis will be discussed together
with previous J/ψ measurements in pp collisions from ALICE based on Run 2 data.
