Measurement of charm production at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

A bstract The p t -differential inclusive production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D 0 , D + , and D *+ in the rapidity range | y | < 0.5 were measured in proton-proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV at the LHC using the ALICE detector. Reconstructing the decays D 0 → K − π + , D + → K − π + π + , D *+ → D 0 π + , and their charge conjugates, about 8,400 D 0 , 2,900 D + , and 2,600 D *+ mesons with 1 < p t < 24 GeV/ c were counted, after selection cuts, in a data sample of 3.14 × 10 8 events collected with a minimum-bias trigger (integrated luminosity L int = 5 nb −1 ). The results are described within uncertainties by predictions based on perturbative QCD.