Open charm measurements with the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS

The strong interactions programme of the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS has been extended through the use of new silicon Vertex Detector, which allows for reconstructing open charm particles. The detector was designed to identify those particles by means of a precise reconstruction of their primary and secondary vertices.

An initial version of the Vertex Detector, called SAVD (Small Acceptance Vertex Detector), was installed end of 2016. It was operated in a Pb+Pb calibration beam time in 2016, and with Xe+La in 2017. A further Pb+Pb beam time is scheduled for late 2018. The first indications of a D⁰ peak were observed in the data obtained from the 2016 Pb+Pb run.

This work introduces the physics motivation behind the open charm measurements, and the status of the analysis of the collected data on open charm production. Moreover, the plans of future open charm measurements in NA61/SHINE experiment and the related to upgrades of the vertex detector will be discussed. (paper)