Multiplicity dependence of $$\pi $$, K, and p production in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ TeV

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the measurements of $$\pi ^{\pm }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msup><mml:mi>π</mml:mi><mml:mo>±</mml:mo></mml:msup></mml:math> , $$\mathrm {K}^{\pm }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>K</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>±</mml:mo></mml:msup></mml:math> , $$\text {p}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mtext>p</mml:mtext></mml:math> and $$\overline{\mathrm{p}} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mover><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mo>¯</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:math> transverse momentum ( $$p_{\text {T}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mtext>T</mml:mtext></mml:msub></mml:math> ) spectra as a function of charged-particle multiplicity density in proton–proton (pp) collisions at $$\sqrt{s}\ =\ 13\ \text {TeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mspace/><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mspace/><mml:mn>13</mml:mn><mml:mspace/><mml:mtext>TeV</mml:mtext></mml:mrow></mml:math> with the ALICE detector at the LHC. Such study allows us to isolate the center-of-mass energy dependence of light-flavour particle production. The measurements reported here cover a $$p_{\text {T}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mtext>T</mml:mtext></mml:msub></mml:math> range from 0.1 to 20 $$\text {GeV}/c$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext><mml:mo>/</mml:mo><mml:mi>c</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math> and are done in the rapidity interval $$|y|&lt;0.5$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mo>|</mml:mo><mml:mi>y</mml:mi><mml:mo>|</mml:mo><mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.5</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math> . The $$p_{\text {T}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mtext>T</mml:mtext></mml:msub></mml:math> -differential particle ratios exhibit an evolution with multiplicity, similar to that observed in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}\ =\ 7\ \text {TeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mspace/><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mspace/><mml:mn>7</mml:mn><mml:mspace/><mml:mtext>TeV</mml:mtext></mml:mrow></mml:math> , which is qualitatively described by some of the hydrodynamical and pQCD-inspired models discussed in this paper. Furthermore, the $$p_{\text {T}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mtext>T</mml:mtext></mml:msub></mml:math> -integrated hadron-to-pion yield ratios measured in pp collisions at two different center-of-mass energies are consistent when compared at similar multiplicities. This also extends to strange and multi-strange hadrons, suggesting that, at LHC energies, particle hadrochemistry scales with particle multiplicity the same way under different collision energies and colliding systems.