Inclusive J/ψ production at forward and backward rapidity in p-Pb collisions at √sNN=8.16 TeV

Inclusive J/ψ production is studied in p-Pb interactions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision sNN=8.16$$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=8.16 $$TeV, using the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC. The J/ψ meson is reconstructed, via its decay to a muon pair, in the centre-of-mass rapidity intervals 2.03 <ycms <3.53 and −4.46 <ycms <−2.96, where positive and negative ycms refer to the p-going and Pb-going direction, respectively. The transverse momentum coverage is pT <20 GeV/c. In this paper, ycms- and pT-differential cross sections for inclusive J/ψ production are presented, and the corresponding nuclear modification factors RpPb are shown. Forward results show a suppression of the J/ψ yield with respect to pp collisions, concentrated in the region pT ≲ 5 GeV/c. At backward rapidity no significant suppression is observed. The results are compared to previous measurements by ALICE in p-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02$$ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02 $$TeV and to theoretical calculations. Finally, the ratios RFB between forward- and backward-ycms RpPb values are shown and discussed.