Production of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays in p-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV

The production of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays in p-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV was studied for 2 < p(T) < 16 GeV/c with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC. The measurement was performed at forward (p-going direction) and backward (Pb-going direction) rapidity, in the ranges of rapidity in the centre-of-mass system (cms) 2.03 < y(cms) < 3.53 and -4.46 < y(cms) < -2.96, respectively. The production cross sections and nuclear modification factors are presented as a function of transverse momentum (P-T). At forward rapidity, the nuclear modification factor is compatible with unity while at backward rapidity, in the interval 2.5 < p(T) < 3.5 GeV/c, it is above unity by more than 2 sigma. The ratio of the forward -to -backward production cross sections is also measured in the overlapping interval 2.96 < |y(cms)| < 3.53 and is smaller than unity by 3.7 sigma in 2.5 < p(T) < 3.5 GeV/c. The data are described by model calculations including cold nuclear matter effects. (C) 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.