OPEN CHARM PRODUCTION IN HADRONIC AND HEAVY-ION COLLISIONS AT RHIC AND LHC ENERGIES TO O(ALPHA(3)(S))

We present results on rapidity and transverse momentum distributions o f inclusive charm quark production in hadronic and heavy-ion collision s at RHIC and LHC energies, including the next-to-leading order, O(alp ha(s)(3)), radiative corrections and the nuclear shadowing, owing effe ct. We determine the hadronic and the effective (in-medium) K-factor f or the differential and total inclusive charm cross sections. We show that these K-factors have strong p(T) dependence. We discuss how measu rements of charm production at RHIC and LHC can provide valuable infor mation about the gluon density in a nucleus.