Prompt charm production in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

Understand

Charm production at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector.

• The decays D0 -> K- pi+, D+ -> K- pi+ pi+, D*+ -> D0(K- pi+) pi+, D_s+ -> phi(K- K+) pi+, Lambda_c+ -> p K- pi+, and their charge conjugates are analysed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 15 nb^{-1}.
• Differential cross-sections dsigma/dp_T are measured for prompt production of the five charmed hadron species in bins of transverse momentum and rapidity in the region 0 < p_T < 8 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5.
• Theoretical predictions are compared to the measured differential cross-sections.