Heavy-ion Physics at a Fixed-Target Experiment Using the LHC Proton and Lead Beams (AFTER@LHC): Feasibility Studies for Quarkonium and Drell-Yan Production

Understand

We outline the case for heavy-ion-physics studies using the multi-TeV lead LHC beams in the fixed-target mode.

• After a brief contextual reminder, we detail the possible contributions of AFTER@LHC to heavy-ion physics with a specific emphasis on quarkonia.
• We then present performance simulations for a selection of observables.
• These show that $\Upsilon(nS)$, $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2S)$ production in heavy-ion collisions can be studied in new energy and rapidity domains with the LHCb and ALICE detectors.