Measurement of the $W\rightarrow\mu\nu$ charge asymmetry and centrality dependence in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 2.76 ~TeV$ with the ATLAS detector

A study of $W$ production via the muon decay channel in lead-lead collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 2.76 ~TeV$ is presented using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.14 $nb^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2011. The production rates are measured in a fiducial kinematic range as a function of the average number of participating nucleons $\left\langle N_{part} \right\rangle$ and absolute psuedorapidity. A measurement of the muon charge asymmetry as a function of absolute pseudorapidity is presented as well. The results are compared to predictions based on modified leading order and next to leading order calculations with the MRSTLO* and MSTW2008NLO parton distribution functions. This measurement provides information on the binary scaling of $W$ production in multi-nucleon systems as well as possible modifications to the parton distribution functions.