Production of light-flavor hadrons in pp collisions at √s~=~7 and √s = 13 \, TeV

The production of π ± π ± , K± K ± , K⁰S K S 0 , K*(892)⁰ K ∗ ( 892 ) 0 , p p , φ (1020) ϕ ( 1020 ) , Λ Λ , Ξ ⁻ Ξ - , Ω ⁻ Ω - , and their antiparticles was measured in inelastic proton–proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s s = 13 TeV at midrapidity ( $$|y|<0.5$$ | y | < 0.5 ) as a function of transverse momentum ( pT p T ) using the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC. Furthermore, the single-particle pT p T distributions of K⁰S K S 0 , Λ Λ , and Λ ̄ Λ ¯ in inelastic pp collisions at √s = 7 s = 7 TeV are reported here for the first time. The pT p T distributions are studied at midrapidity within the transverse momentum range 0≤ pT≤ 20 0 ≤ p T ≤ 20 GeV/ c , depending on the particle species. The pT p T spectra, integrated yields, and particle yield ratios are discussed as a function of collision energy and compared with measurements at lower √s s and with results from various general-purpose QCD-inspired Monte Carlo models. A hardening of the spectra at high pT p T with increasing collision energy is observed, which is similar for all particle species under study. The transverse mass and xT≡ 2pT/√s x