# Transverse Momentum Spectra of Pions at LHC Energies

## TL;DR

This paper analyzes the transverse momentum spectra of pions at LHC energies using thermal models, highlighting the importance of missing states and chemical non-equilibrium in reproducing experimental data and addressing the anomalous proton-to-pion ratio.

## Contribution

It introduces two thermal approaches incorporating missing states and chemical non-equilibrium to better fit pion spectra at LHC energies.

## Key findings

- Thermal models accurately reproduce pion spectra.
- Missing states and non-equilibrium are crucial for data fit.
- Potential link to anomalous proton-to-pion ratios.

## Abstract

In order to characterize the transverse momentum spectra of positive pions measured in the ALICE experiment, two thermal approaches are utilized; one is based on degeneracy of non-perfect Bose-Einstein gas and the other imposes an {\it ad-hoc} finite pion-chemical potential. The inclusion of missing haron states and the out-of-chemical equilibrium greatly contribute to the excellent characterization of pion production. The excellent reproduction of the experimental data can be understood as a manifestation of not-yet-regarded anomalous pion-production, which likely contribute to the long-standing debate on the {\it "anomalous"} proton-to-pion ratios at top RHIC and LHC energies.