Abstract
The azimuthal-correlation distributions between electrons from the decays of heavy-flavor hadrons and associated charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV are reported for the 0-10% and 30-50% centrality classes. This measurement provides access to the jet-like correlation observables in the heavy-flavor sector in Pb-Pb collisions. The analysis is performed for trigger electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays with transverse momentum 4 < p(T)(e) < 16 GeV/c, considering associated particles within the transverse-momentum range 1 < p(T)(assoc) < 7 GeV/c, and a pseudorapidity difference of |Delta eta| < 1 between the trigger electron and associated particles. The per-trigger nuclear modification factor (I-AA) is calculated to compare the near- and away-side peak yields to those in pp collisions at root s = 5.02 TeV. In 0-10% central collisions, the I-AA indicates a hint of enhancement of associated-particle yields with p(T) < 3 GeV/c on the near side, and a suppression of yields with p(T) > 4 GeV/c on the away side. The I-AA for electron triggers from heavy-flavor hadron decays is compared with that for light-flavor and strange-particle triggers to investigate the dependence on different fragmentation processes and parton-medium dynamics, and is found to be the same within uncertainties.