First measurement of (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) production in proton-proton collisions at (Formula presented) at the LHC

Abstract

The production yields of the orbitally excited charm-strange mesons (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) were measured for the first time in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of (Formula presented) with the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) mesons were measured at midrapidity ((Formula presented)) in minimum-bias and high-multiplicity pp collisions in the transverse-momentum interval (Formula presented). Their production yields relative to the (Formula presented) ground-state yield were found to be compatible between minimum-bias and high-multiplicity collisions, as well as with previous measurements in (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) collisions. The measured (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) yield ratios are described by statistical hadronization models and can be used to tune the parameters governing the production of excited charm-strange hadrons in Monte Carlo generators, such as pythia 8. © 2025 CERN, for the ALICE Collaboration.