The measurement of dielectron production is presented as a function of invariant mass and transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) at midrapidity ($|y_{\rm e}|<0.8$) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. The contributions from light-hadron decays are calculated from their measured cross sections in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV or 13 TeV. The remaining continuum stems from correlated semileptonic decays of heavy-flavour hadrons. Fitting the data with templates from two different MC event generators, PYTHIA and POWHEG, the charm and beauty cross sections at midrapidity are extracted for the first time at this collision energy: ${\rm d}\sigma_{\rm c\bar{c}}/{\rm d}y|_{y=0}=974\pm138(\rm{stat.})\pm140(\rm{syst.})~\mu{\rm b}$ and ${\rm d}\sigma_{\rm b\bar{b}}/{\rm d}y|_{y=0}=79\pm14(\rm{stat.})\pm11(\rm{syst.})~\mu{\rm b}$ using PYTHIA simulations and ${\rm d}\sigma_{\rm c\bar{c}}/{\rm d}y|_{y=0}=1417\pm184(\rm{stat.})\pm204(\rm{syst.})~\mu{\rm b}$ and ${\rm d}\sigma_{\rm b\bar{b}}/{\rm d}y|_{y=0}=48\pm14(\rm{stat.})\pm7(\rm{syst.})~\mu{\rm b}$ for POWHEG. These values, whose uncertainties are fully correlated between the two generators, are consistent with extrapolations from lower energies. The different results obtained with POWHEG and PYTHIA imply different kinematic correlations of the heavy-quark pairs in these two generators. Furthermore, comparisons of dielectron spectra in inelastic events and in events collected with a trigger on high charged-particle multiplicities are presented in various $p_{\rm T}$ intervals. The differences are consistent with the already measured scaling of light-hadron and open-charm production at high charged-particle multiplicity as a function of $p_{\rm T}$. Upper limits for the contribution of virtual direct photons are extracted at 90% confidence level and found to be in agreement with pQCD calculations.

At sufficiently high temperature and energy density, nuclear matter undergoes a transition to a phase in which quarks and gluons are not confined: the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) [1]. Such an extreme state of strongly-interacting QCD (Quantum Chromo-Dynamics) matter is produced in the laboratory with high-energy collisions of heavy nuclei, where an enhanced production of strange hadrons is observed [2-6]. Strangeness enhancement, originally proposed as a signature of QGP formation in nuclear collisions [7], is more pronounced for multi-strange baryons. Several effects typical of heavy-ion phenomenology have been observed in high-multiplicity proton-proton (pp) collisions [8,9]. Yet, enhanced production of multi-strange particles has not been reported so far. Here we present the first observation of strangeness enhancement in high-multiplicity pp collisions. We find that the integrated yields of strange and multi-strange particles relative to pions increases significantly with the event charged-particle multiplicity. The measurements are in remarkable agreement with p-Pb collision results [10,11] indicating that the phenomenon is related to the final system created in the collision. In high-multiplicity events strangeness production reaches values similar to those observed in Pb-Pb collisions, where a QGP is formed.

We report measurements of the inclusive J/$\psi$ yield and average transverse momentum as a function of charged-particle pseudorapidity density ${\rm d}N_{\rm ch}/{\rm d}\eta$ in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}= 5.02$ TeV with ALICE at the LHC. The observables are normalised to their corresponding averages in non-single diffractive events. An increase of the normalised J/$\psi$ yield with normalised ${\rm d}N_{\rm ch}/{\rm d}\eta$, measured at mid-rapidity, is observed at mid-rapidity and backward rapidity. At forward rapidity, a saturation of the relative yield is observed for high charged-particle multiplicities. The normalised average transverse momentum at forward and backward rapidities increases with multiplicity at low multiplicities and saturates beyond moderate multiplicities. In addition, the forward-to-backward nuclear modification factor ratio is also reported, showing an increasing suppression of J/$\psi$ production at forward rapidity with respect to backward rapidity for increasing charged-particle multiplicity.

First results on K/$\pi$, p/$\pi$ and K/p fluctuations are obtained with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC as a function of centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76$ TeV. The observable $\nu_{\rm dyn}$, which is defined in terms of the moments of particle multiplicity distributions, is used to quantify the magnitude of dynamical fluctuations of relative particle yields and also provides insight into the correlation between particle pairs. This study is based on a novel experimental technique, called the Identity Method, which allows one to measure the moments of multiplicity distributions in case of incomplete particle identification. The results for p/$\pi$ show a change of sign in $\nu_{\rm dyn}$ from positive to negative towards more peripheral collisions. For central collisions, the results follow the smooth trend of the data at lower energies and $\nu_{\rm dyn}$ exhibits a change in sign for p/$\pi$ and K/p.

A measurement of the production of prompt $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ baryons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 $ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC is reported. The $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ and $\overline{\Lambda}_{\rm c}^{-}$ were reconstructed at midrapidity ($|y| < 0.5$) via the hadronic decay channel $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}\rightarrow {\rm p} {\rm K}_{\rm S}^{0}$ (and charge conjugate) in the transverse momentum and centrality intervals $6 < p_{\rm T} <12$ GeV/$c$ and 0-80%. The $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$/D$^0$ ratio, which is sensitive to the charm quark hadronisation mechanisms in the medium, is measured and found to be larger than the ratio measured in minimum-bias pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV and in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 $ TeV. In particular, the values in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions differ by about two standard deviations of the combined statistical and systematic uncertainties in the common $p_{\rm T}$ interval covered by the measurements in the two collision system. The $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$/D$^0$ ratio is also compared with model calculations including different implementations of charm quark hadronisation. The measured ratio is reproduced by models implementing a pure coalescence scenario, while adding a fragmentation contribution leads to an underestimation. The $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ nuclear modification factor, $R_{\rm AA}$, is also presented. The measured values of the $R_{\rm AA}$ of $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$, D$_{\rm s}$ and non-strange D mesons are compatible within the combined statistical and systematic uncertainties. They show, however, a hint of a hierarchy $(R_{\rm AA}^{{\rm D}^{0}}<R_{\rm AA}^{{\rm D}_{\rm s}}<R_{\rm AA}^{\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}})$, conceivable with a contribution of recombination mechanisms to charm hadron formation in the medium.

We report a precise measurement of the J/$\psi$ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The J/$\psi$ mesons are reconstructed at mid-rapidity ($|y| < 0.9$) in the dielectron decay channel and at forward rapidity ($2.5<y<4.0$) in the dimuon channel, both down to zero transverse momentum. At forward rapidity, the elliptic flow $v_2$ of the J/$\psi$ is studied as a function of transverse momentum and centrality. A positive $v_2$ is observed in the transverse momentum range $2 < p_{\rm T} < 8$ GeV/$c$ in the three centrality classes studied and confirms with higher statistics our earlier results at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV in semi-central collisions. At mid-rapidity, the J/$\psi$ $v_2$ is investigated as a function of transverse momentum in semi-central collisions and found to be in agreement with the measurements at forward rapidity. These results are compared to transport model calculations. The comparison supports the idea that at low $p_{\rm T}$ the elliptic flow of the J/$\psi$ originates from the thermalization of charm quarks in the deconfined medium, but suggests that additional mechanisms might be missing in the models.

We report the results of the femtoscopic analysis of pairs of identical pions measured in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV. Femtoscopic radii are determined as a function of event multiplicity and pair momentum in three spatial dimensions. As in the pp collision system, the analysis is complicated by the presence of sizable background correlation structures in addition to the femtoscopic signal. The radii increase with event multiplicity and decrease with pair transverse momentum. When taken at comparable multiplicity, the radii measured in p-Pb collisions, at high multiplicity and low pair transverse momentum, are 10-20% higher than those observed in pp collisions but below those observed in A-A collisions. The results are compared to hydrodynamic predictions at large event multiplicity as well as discussed in the context of calculations based on gluon saturation.

The nuclear modification factor, $R_{\rm AA}$, of the prompt charmed mesons ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$ and ${\rm D^{*+}}$, and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV in two transverse momentum intervals, $5<p_{\rm T}<8$ GeV/$c$ and $8<p_{\rm T}<16$ GeV/$c$, and in six collision centrality classes. The $R_{\rm AA}$ shows a maximum suppression of a factor of 5-6 in the 10% most central collisions. The suppression and its centrality dependence are compatible within uncertainties with those of charged pions. A comparison with the $R_{\rm AA}$ of non-prompt ${\rm J}/\psi$ from B meson decays, measured by the CMS Collaboration, hints at a larger suppression of D mesons in the most central collisions.

The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross section of electrons from semileptonic decays of heavy-flavor hadrons has been measured at mid-rapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV in the transverse momentum range 0.5 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 12 GeV/$c$ with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The analysis was performed using minimum bias events and events triggered by the electromagnetic calorimeter. Predictions from perturbative QCD calculations agree with the data within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties.

Event-by-event fluctuations of the mean transverse momentum of charged particles produced in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV, and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV are studied as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity using the ALICE detector at the LHC. Dynamical fluctuations indicative of correlated particle emission are observed in all systems. The results in pp collisions show little dependence on collision energy. The Monte Carlo event generators PYTHIA and PHOJET are in qualitative agreement with the data. Peripheral Pb-Pb data exhibit a similar multiplicity dependence as that observed in pp. In central Pb-Pb, the results deviate from this trend, featuring a significant reduction of the fluctuation strength. The results in Pb--Pb are in qualitative agreement with previous measurements in Au-Au at lower collision energies and with expectations from models that incorporate collective phenomena.