Monte Carlo predictions for K^*(892)^0 and ϕ (1020)^0 mesons production in pp and Pb – Pb collisions at LHC energies

We have investigated the production of K^*(892)^0 and ϕ (1020)^0 mesons in pp collisions at √(s) = 7 , 13 and 5.02 TeV. We have also examined the production of K^*(892)^0 and ϕ (1020)^0 mesons in Pb – Pb collisions at √(s) =5.02 TeV. The p_T distributions of K^*(892)^0 and ϕ (1020)^0 at √(s)= 7 and 13 TeV are presented in the kinematic range of 0< p_T < 6 and 0 < p_ T < 9 GeV/c, respectively. In addition to K^*(892)^0 and ϕ (1020)^0 mesons production, the yields are reported in pp and Pb – Pb collisions at √(s)=5.02 TeV within the kinematic range of 0 < p_T < 20 GeV/c and at the rapidity interval of |y| < 0.5 . The Monte Carlo event generators like PYTHIA8, EPOS-LHC, and EPOS - 1.99 are used to produce the mesons in proton–proton ( pp ) and lead–lead ( Pb – Pb ) collisions. The nuclear modification factor R_AA has also been constructed at √(s)=5.02 TeV. The obtained Monte Carlo simulation predictions are compared with the ALICE data. All the model’s predictions do not reproduce the ALICE data, but PYTHIA8 predictions are far better than other models and are very close to the ALICE data. It is observed that the predictions of PYTHIA8 CR mode 2 describe the ALICE data very well at √(s) = 7 and 5.02 TeV. As can be seen from R_AA , EPOS-LHC predictions are consistent with ALICE data for ϕ (1020)^0 at √(s)=5.02 TeV. Moreover, the ratio of data/model provides a good quantitative analysis.