Analysis of femtoscopic correlations of proton-antiproton pairs in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02 \mathrm{TeV}$ in the ALICE experiment at the LHC

By using the femtoscopic technique, it is possible discover the properties of the emission source during an event. In heavy-ion collisions, quark–gluon plasma is produced, thus replicating the state of the early universe. Analysis of two–particle correlations can help in furthering the study of this rare state of matter. This thesis focuses on analyzing proton–antiproton pairs using data from Pb–Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02 \mathrm{TeV}$ acquired by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. Many studies have been performed on pp femtoscopic correlations, but the baryon–antibaryon interactions remain largely uncharted. Coulomb as well as strong forces play a role, although the latter still yields more impact overall. Modernisations performed during Long Shutdown 2 allowed for higher energy collisions and better detection technology. Results obtained during the analysis are compared with preliminary correlations from newly taken Pb–Pb collision data as well as previously published ones. HIJING Monte Carlo simulations are used as reference for quality assurance calculations. Acquired results serve as a baseline for further studies of baryon–antibaryon femtoscopic correlations, providing continuity between run periods and preparing code, as well as reference for future studies.