An invariant differential cross section measurement of inclusive $\pi^{0}$ and $\eta$ meson production at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV was carried out by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The spectra of $\pi^{0}$ and $\eta$ mesons were measured in transverse momentum ranges of $0.3<p_{\rm T}<35$ GeV/$c$ and $0.5<p_{\rm T}<35$ GeV/$c$, respectively. Next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations using fragmentation functions DSS14 for the $\pi^{0}$ and AESSS for the $\eta$ overestimate the cross sections of both neutral mesons, although such calculations agree with the measured $\eta/\pi^{0}$ ratio within uncertainties. The results were also compared with PYTHIA~8.2 predictions for which the Monash~2013 tune yields the best agreement with the measured neutral meson spectra. The measurements confirm a universal behavior of the $\eta/\pi^{0}$ ratio seen for NA27, PHENIX and ALICE data for pp collisions from $\sqrt{s}=27.5$ GeV to $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV within experimental uncertainties. A relation between the $\pi^{0}$ and $\eta$ production cross sections for pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV is given by $m_{\rm T}$ scaling for $p_{\rm T}>3.5$ GeV/$c$. However, a deviation from this empirical scaling rule is observed for transverse momenta below $p_{\rm T}<3.5$ GeV/$c$ in the $\eta/\pi^0$ ratio with a significance of $6.2\sigma$.

The production yield of the $\Lambda(1520)$ baryon resonance is measured at mid-rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The measurement is performed in the $\Lambda(1520)\rightarrow {\rm pK}^{-}$ (and charge conjugate) hadronic decay channel as a function of the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and collision centrality. The $p_{\rm T}$-integrated production rate of $\Lambda(1520)$ relative to $\Lambda$ in central collisions is suppressed by about a factor of 2 with respect to peripheral collisions. This is the first observation of the suppression of a baryonic resonance at LHC and the first evidence of $\Lambda(1520)$ suppression in heavy-ion collisions. The measured $\Lambda(1520)/\Lambda$ ratio in central collisions is smaller than the value predicted by the statistical hadronisation model calculations. The shape of the measured $p_{\rm T}$ distribution and the centrality dependence of the suppression are reproduced by the EPOS3 Monte Carlo event generator. The measurement adds further support to the formation of a dense hadronic phase in the final stages of the evolution of the fireball created in heavy-ion collisions, lasting long enough to cause a significant reduction in the observable yield of short-lived resonances.

We report measurements of the production of prompt D$^0$, D$^+$, D$^{*+}$ and D$^+_{\rm s}$ mesons in Pb-Pb collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV, in the centrality classes 0-10%, 30-50% and 60-80%. The D-meson production yields are measured at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.5$) as a function of transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$). The $p_{\rm T}$ intervals covered in central collisions are: $1<p_{\rm T}<50$ Gev/$c$ for D$^0$, $2<p_{\rm T}<50$ GeV/$c$ for D$^+$, $3<p_{\rm T}<50$ GeV/$c$ for D$^{*+}$, and $4<p_{\rm T}<16$ GeV/$c$ for D$^+_{\rm s}$ mesons. The nuclear modification factors ($R_{\rm AA}$) for non-strange D mesons (D$^0$, D$^+$, D$^{*+}$) show minimum values of about 0.2 for $p_{\rm T}$ = 6-10 GeV/$c$ in the most central collisions and are compatible within uncertainties with those measured at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76$ TeV. For D$^+_{\rm s}$ mesons, the values of $R_{\rm AA}$ are larger than those of non-strange D mesons, but compatible within uncertainties. In central collisions the average $R_{\rm AA}$ of non-strange D mesons is compatible with that of charged particles for $p_{\rm T} > 8$ GeV/$c$, while it is larger at lower $p_{\rm T}$. The nuclear modification factors for strange and non-strange D mesons are also compared to theoretical models with different implementations of in-medium energy loss.

The measurements of the production of prompt ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, ${\rm D^{*+}}$, and ${{\rm D^+_s}}$ mesons in proton--proton (pp) collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are reported. D mesons were reconstructed at mid-rapidity ($|y|<0.5$) via their hadronic decay channels ${\rm D}^0 \to {\rm K}^-\pi^+$, ${\rm D}^+\to {\rm K}^-\pi^+\pi^+$, ${\rm D}^{*+} \to {\rm D}^0 \pi^+ \to {\rm K}^- \pi^+ \pi^+$, ${\rm D^{+}_{s}\to \phi\pi^+\to K^{+} K^{-} \pi^{+}}$, and their charge conjugates. The production cross sections were measured in the transverse momentum interval $0<p_{\rm T}<36~\mathrm{GeV}/c$ for ${\rm D^0}$, $1<p_{\rm T}<36~\mathrm{GeV}/c$ for ${\rm D^+}$ and ${\rm D^{*+}}$, and in $2<p_{\rm T}<24~\mathrm{GeV}/c$ for ${{\rm D^+_s}}$ mesons. Thanks to the higher integrated luminosity, an analysis in finer $p_{\rm T}$ bins with respect to the previous measurements at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV was performed, allowing for a more detailed description of the cross-section $p_{\rm T}$ shape. The measured $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections are compared to the results at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and to four different perturbative QCD calculations. Its rapidity dependence is also tested combining the ALICE and LHCb measurements in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV. This measurement will allow for a more accurate determination of the nuclear modification factor in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions performed at the same nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy.

The production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D$^0$, D$^+$, D$^{*+}$ and D$_s$ were measured at mid-rapidity in p-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. D mesons were reconstructed from their decays D$^0\rightarrow{\rm K}^-\pi^+$, D$^+\rightarrow{\rm K}^-\pi^+\pi^+$, D$^{*+}\rightarrow D^0\pi^+$, D$_s^+\rightarrow\phi\pi^+\rightarrow{\rm K}^-{\rm K}^+\pi^+$, and their charge conjugates. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections were measured at mid-rapidity in the interval $1<p_{\rm T}<24$ GeV/$c$ for D$^0$, D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$ mesons and in $2<p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$ for D$_s$ mesons, using an analysis method based on the selection of decay topologies displaced from the interaction vertex. The production cross sections of the D$^0$, D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$ mesons were also measured in three $p_{\rm T}$ intervals as a function of the rapidity $y_{\rm cms}$ in the centre-of-mass system in $-1.26<y_{\rm cms}<0.34$. In addition, the prompt D$^0$ cross section was measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV down to $p_{\rm T}=0$ using an analysis technique that is based on the estimation and subtraction of the combinatorial background, without reconstruction of the D$^0$ decay vertex. The nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm pPb}(p_{\rm T})$, defined as the ratio of the $p_{\rm T}$-differential D-meson cross section in p-Pb collisions and that in pp collisions scaled by the mass number of the Pb nucleus, was calculated for the four D-meson species and found to be compatible with unity within experimental uncertainties. The results are compared to theoretical calculations that include cold-nuclear-matter effects and to transport model calculations incorporating the interactions of charm quarks with an expanding deconfined medium.

The measurement of the production of ${\rm f}_{0}(980)$ in inelastic pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ TeV is presented. This is the first reported measurement of inclusive ${\rm f}_{0}(980)$ yield at LHC energies. The production is measured at midrapidity, $|y| < 0.5$, in a wide transverse momentum range, $0 < p_{\rm T} < 16$ GeV/$c$, by reconstructing the resonance in the ${\rm f}_{0}(980) \rightarrow \pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ hadronic decay channel using the ALICE detector. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential yields are compared to those of pions, protons and $\phi$ mesons as well as to predictions from the HERWIG 7.2 QCD-inspired Monte Carlo event generator and calculations from a coalescence model that uses the AMPT model as an input. The ratio of the $p_{\rm T}$-integrated yield of ${\rm f}_{0}(980)$ relative to pions is compared to measurements in ${\rm e}^{+}{\rm e}^{-}$ and pp collisions at lower energies and predictions from statistical hadronisation models and HERWIG 7.2. A mild collision energy dependence of the ${\rm f}_{0}(980)$ to pion production is observed in pp collisions from SPS to LHC energies. All considered models underpredict the $p_{\rm T}$-integrated $2{\rm f}_{0}(980)/(\pi^{+}+\pi^{-})$ ratio. The prediction from the canonical statistical hadronisation model assuming a zero total strangeness content of ${\rm f}_{0}(980)$ is consistent with the data within 1.9$\sigma$ and is the closest to the data. The results provide an essential reference for future measurements of the particle yield and nuclear modification in p$-$Pb and Pb$-$Pb collisions, which have been proposed to be instrumental to probe the elusive nature and quark composition of the ${\rm f}_{0}(980)$ scalar meson.

The production of prompt charmed mesons D$^0$, D$^+$ and D$^{*+}$, and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair, $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, of 2.76 TeV. The production yields for rapidity $|y|<0.5$ are presented as a function of transverse momentum, $p_{\rm T}$, in the interval 1-36 GeV/$c$ for the centrality class 0-10% and in the interval 1-16 GeV/$c$ for the centrality class 30-50%. The nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ was computed using a proton-proton reference at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV, based on measurements at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV and on theoretical calculations. A maximum suppression by a factor of 5-6 with respect to binary-scaled pp yields is observed for the most central collisions at $p_{\rm T}$ of about 10 GeV/$c$. A suppression by a factor of about 2-3 persists at the highest $p_{\rm T}$ covered by the measurements. At low $p_{\rm T}$ (1-3 GeV/$c$), the $R_{\rm AA}$ has large uncertainties that span the range 0.35 (factor of about 3 suppression) to 1 (no suppression). In all $p_{\rm T}$ intervals, the $R_{\rm AA}$ is larger in the 30-50% centrality class compared to central collisions. The D-meson $R_{\rm AA}$ is also compared with that of charged pions and, at large $p_{\rm T}$, charged hadrons, and with model calculations.

The invariant differential cross sections for inclusive $\pi^{0}$ and $\eta$ mesons at midrapidity were measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV for transverse momenta $0.4<p_{\rm T}<40$ GeV/$c$ and $0.6<p_{\rm T}<20$ GeV/$c$, respectively, using the ALICE detector. This large range in $p_{\rm T}$ was achieved by combining various analysis techniques and different triggers involving the electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal). In particular, a new single-cluster, shower-shape based method was developed for the identification of high-$p_{\rm T}$ neutral pions, which exploits that the showers originating from their decay photons overlap in the EMCal. The measured cross sections are found to exhibit a similar power-law behavior with an exponent of about $6.3$. Next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations differ from the measured cross sections by about $30$% for the $\pi^0$, and between $30$-$50$% for the $\eta$ meson, while generator-level simulations with PYTHIA 8.2 describe the data to better than $10$-$30$%, except at $p_{\rm T}<1$ GeV/$c$. The new data can therefore be used to further improve the theoretical description of $\pi^{0}$ and $\eta$ meson production.

The inclusive production of the $\psi$(2S) charmonium state was studied as a function of centrality in p-Pb collisions at the nucleon-nucleon center of mass energy $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV at the CERN LHC. The measurement was performed with the ALICE detector in the center of mass rapidity ranges $-4.46<y_{\rm cms}<-2.96$ and $2.03<y_{\rm cms}<3.53$, down to zero transverse momentum, by reconstructing the $\psi$(2S) decay to a muon pair. The $\psi$(2S) production cross section $\sigma_{\psi(\rm 2S)}$ is presented as a function of the collision centrality, which is estimated through the energy deposited in forward rapidity calorimeters. The relative strength of nuclear effects on the $\psi$(2S) and on the corresponding 1S charmonium state J/$\psi$ is then studied by means of the double ratio of cross sections $[\sigma_{\psi(\rm 2S)}/\sigma_{\rm J/\psi}]_{\rm pPb}/[\sigma_{\psi(\rm 2S)}/\sigma_{\rm J/\psi}]_{\rm pp}$ between p-Pb and pp collisions, and by the values of the nuclear modification factors for the two charmonium states. The results show a large suppression of $\psi$(2S) production relative to the J/$\psi$ at backward (negative) rapidity, corresponding to the flight direction of the Pb-nucleus, while at forward (positive) rapidity the suppressions of the two states are comparable. Finally, comparisons to results from lower energy experiments and to available theoretical models are presented.

The production of prompt D$_s^+$ mesons was measured for the first time in collisions of heavy nuclei with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The analysis was performed on a data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair, $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, of 2.76 TeV in two different centrality classes, namely 0-10% and 20-50%. D$_s^+$ mesons and their antiparticles were reconstructed at mid-rapidity from their hadronic decay channel D$_s^+\rightarrow\phi\pi^+$, with $\phi\rightarrow$K$^-$K$^+$, in the transverse momentum intervals $4< p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$ and $6< p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$ for the 0-10% and 20-50% centrality classes, respectively. The nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ was computed by comparing the $p_{\rm T}$-differential production yields in Pb-Pb collisions to those in proton-proton (pp) collisions at the same energy. This pp reference was obtained using the cross section measured at $\sqrt{s}= 7$ TeV and scaled to $\sqrt{s}= 2.76$ TeV. The $R_{\rm AA}$ of D$_s^+$ mesons was compared to that of non-strange D mesons in the 10% most central Pb-Pb collisions. At high $p_{\rm T}$ ($8< p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$) a suppression of the D$_s^+$-meson yield by a factor of about three, compatible within uncertainties with that of non-strange D mesons, is observed. At lower $p_{\rm T}$ ($4< p_{\rm T}<8$ GeV/$c$) the values of the D$_s^+$-meson $R_{\rm AA}$ are larger than those of non-strange D mesons, although compatible within uncertainties. The production ratios D$_s^+$/D$^0$ and D$_s^+$\D$^+$ were also measured in Pb-Pb collisions and compared to their values in proton-proton collisions.