Prompt D*+ production in proton-proton and lead-lead collisions, measured with the ALICE experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

In this thesis the results are presented of the first measurements of the D*+ meson nuclear modification factor RAA in heavy ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) using the ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) detector at CERN. These open charmed mesons are a useful tool to investigate the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) since their parent charm quarks are produced in the early stages of heavy ion collisions, so that they are sensitive to the full formation history of the QGP, and their high mass limits their energy loss in the medium. Baseline measurements of charm production in proton-proton collisions have also been performed, since they are required to form the understanding of charm production and suppression in the QGP. The pT-differential inclusive production yield of prompt D*+ mesons, in the rapidity range |y|