Evidence for Modification of $b$ Quark Hadronization in High-Multiplicity $pp$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV
The production rate of $B^{0}_{s}$ mesons relative to $B^0$ mesons is measured by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV over the forward rapidity interval 2 < $y$ < 4.5 as a function of the charged particle multiplicity measured in the event. Evidence at the 3.4$σ$ level is found for an increase of the ratio of $B^{0}_{s}$ to $B^0$ cross sections with multiplicity at transverse momenta below 6 GeV /$c$, with no significant multiplicity dependence at higher transverse momentum. Comparison with data from $e^+$ $e^–$ collisions implies that the density of the hadronic medium may affect the production rates of $B$ mesons. This is qualitatively consistent with the emergence of quark coalescence as an additional hadronization mechanism in high-multiplicity collisions.