Multiplicity dependence of π, K, and p production in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV

Abstract This paper presents the measurements of $$\pi ^{\pm }$$ π± , $$\mathrm {K}^{\pm }$$ K± , $$\text {p}$$ p and $$\overline{\mathrm{p}} $$ p¯ transverse momentum ( $$p_{\text {T}}$$ pT ) spectra as a function of charged-particle multiplicity density in proton–proton (pp) collisions at $$\sqrt{s}\ =\ 13\ \text {TeV}$$ s=13TeV 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 $$p_{\text {T}}$$ pT range from 0.1 to 20 $$\text {GeV}/c$$ GeV/c and are done in the rapidity interval $$|y|<0.5$$ |y|<0.5 . The $$p_{\text {T}}$$ pT -differential particle ratios exhibit an evolution with multiplicity, similar to that observed in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}\ =\ 7\ \text {TeV}$$ s=7TeV , which is qualitatively described by some of the hydrodynamical and pQCD-inspired models discussed in this paper. Furthermore, the $$p_{\text {T}}$$ pT -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.