Identified-particle production and spectra with the ALICE detector in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper reviews the ALICE detector's capabilities in measuring identified particle production and spectra in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, presenting new results and comparisons with models and previous experiments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of particle identification techniques and reports new measurements of spectra, yields, and ratios in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies.

Findings

Proton-proton results on particle yields and ratios as a function of energy.

Pb-Pb particle spectra and yields as a function of collision centrality.

Comparison of LHC results with RHIC data and theoretical models.

Abstract

Thanks to its unique capabilities the ALICE experiment can measure the production of identified particles and resonances over a wide momentum range both in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. In this report, particle-identification detectors and techniques, as well as achieved performance, are shortly reviewed. The current results on hadron transverse momentum spectra measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9 TeV and 7 TeV, and in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV are shown. In particular, proton-proton results on particle production yields, spectral shapes and particle ratios are presented as a function of the collision energy and compared to previous experiments and commonly-used Monte Carlo models. Particle spectra, yields and ratios in Pb-Pb are measured as a function of the collision centrality and the results are compared with published RHIC data in Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 0.2 TeV and predictions for the LHC.