First results on $K*(892)^{\pm}$ resonance production in pp collisions with ALICE at the LHC

Abstract

The study of strange hadronic resonances in pp collisions contributes to the study of strangeness production in small systems. Measurements in pp collisions constitute a reference for the study in larger colliding systems and provide constraints for tuning QCD-inspired event generators. Since the lifetimes of short-lived resonances such as $\mathrm{K}^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ ($\tau \sim 4$ fm/$c$) are comparable with the lifetime of the fireball produced in heavy-ion collisions, regeneration and rescattering effects can modify the measured yield, especially at low transverse momentum. The first results for the $\mathrm{K}^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ resonance obtained in inelastic pp collisions at $√{s}$ = 5.02, 8, and 13 TeV will be shown. The $\mathrm{K}^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ has been measured at mid-rapidity via its hadronic decay channel $\mathrm{K}^{*\mathrm{\pm}}$ $\rightarrow$ $\mathrm{K}^{0}_{\mathrm S}$ +$\pi^{\pm}$, with the ALICE detector. In particular, the transverse momentum ($p_{\mathrm{T}}$) spectrum, integrated yields, and ratio to stable hadrons will be presented. The results from K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ are compared to the $\mathrm {K}^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{0}}$. The K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ results are compared with K$^{*}$(892)$^{\mathrm{\pm}}$ predictions from various theoretical models. Particularly interesting is a comparison of the $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ spectra obtained at different energies that shows hardening of the spectra with increasing energy of the collisions.