Identified-particle production and spectra with the ALICE detector in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at the LHC

Thanks to its unique capabilities the ALICE experiment can measure the production of identified particles over a wide momentum range both in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at the LHC. In this report, the particle-identification (PID) detectors and techniques as well as the performance achieved are shortly reviewed. The particle identification of the Inner Tracking System (ITS) and the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) are based on the specific energy loss whereas the Time-Of-Flight detector (TOF) determines the particle velocity by measuring its flight time. The current results on hadron transverse momentum spectra measured in proton–proton (pp) collisions at square root of s= 900 GeV and 7 TeV, and in Pb–Pb collisions at square root of s(NN) = 2:76 TeV are shown. In particular, pp results on particle production yields, spectral shapes and particle ratios are presented as a function of the collision energy and compared to previous experiments and commonly-used Monte Carlo models. Particle spectra, yields and ratios in Pb–Pb are measured as a function of the collision centrality and the results are compared with published RHIC data in Au–Au collisions at square root of s(NN) = 200 GeV and predictions for the LHC.