Measurement of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>?</mml:mi> </mml:math> meson production in <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:math> -Pb collisions at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>N</mml:mi> <mml:mi>N</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>5.02</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> TeV

We present the measurement of the <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <a:msub> <a:mi>p</a:mi> <a:mi mathvariant="normal">T</a:mi> </a:msub> </a:math> -differential production cross section of <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <c:mi>?</c:mi> </c:math> mesons in and <d:math xmlns:d="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <d:mi>p</d:mi> </d:math> -Pb collisions at <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <e:mrow> <e:msqrt> <e:msub> <e:mi>s</e:mi> <e:mrow> <e:mi>N</e:mi> <e:mi>N</e:mi> </e:mrow> </e:msub> </e:msqrt> <e:mo>=</e:mo> <e:mn>5.02</e:mn> </e:mrow> </e:math> TeV at midrapidity by ALICE. In addition, the first measurement of the nuclear modification factor <f:math xmlns:f="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <f:msub> <f:mi>R</f:mi> <f:mrow> <f:mi>p</f:mi> <f:mi>Pb</f:mi> </f:mrow> </f:msub> </f:math> for <g:math xmlns:g="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <g:mi>?</g:mi> </g:math> mesons at LHC energies is presented, complementing the existing measurements of lighter neutral mesons such as the <h:math xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <h:msup> <h:mi>?</h:mi> <h:mn>0</h:mn> </h:msup> </h:math> and <i:math xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <i:mi>?</i:mi> </i:math> . Within the measured <j:math xmlns:j="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <j:msub> <j:mi>p</j:mi> <j:mi mathvariant="normal">T</j:mi> </j:msub> </j:math> range, the <l:math xmlns:l="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <l:msub> <l:mi>R</l:mi> <l:mrow> <l:mi>p</l:mi> <l:mi>Pb</l:mi> </l:mrow> </l:msub> </l:math> of <m:math xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <m:mi>?</m:mi> </m:math> mesons is compatible with no cold nuclear matter effects within the uncertainties, consistent with previous measurements at lower energies. The <n:math xmlns:n="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <n:mrow> <n:mi>?</n:mi> <n:mo>/</n:mo> <n:msup> <n:mi>?</n:mi> <n:mn>0</n:mn> </n:msup> </n:mrow> </n:math> ratio is presented for both collision systems, showing no collision system dependence within the uncertainties. The comparison to previously published <o:math xmlns:o="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <o:mrow> <o:mi>?</o:mi> <o:mo>/</o:mo> <o:msup> <o:mi>?</o:mi> <o:mn>0</o:mn> </o:msup> </o:mrow> </o:math> ratios at lower and higher collision energies in collisions suggests a decreasing trend of the ratio above <p:math xmlns:p="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <p:msub> <p:mi>p</p:mi> <p:mi mathvariant="normal">T</p:mi> </p:msub> </p:math> = 4 GeV/ <r:math xmlns:r="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <r:mi>c</r:mi> </r:math> with increasing collision energy. The data in both collision systems are compared to predictions from PYTHIA 8, EPOS LHC, and DPMJET event generators, revealing significant shortcomings in these models' ability to describe the production of <s:math xmlns:s="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <s:mi>?</s:mi> </s:math> mesons.