The ALICE experiment has measured the inclusive J/$\psi$ production in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}} } = 2.76$ TeV down to zero transverse momentum in the rapidity range $2.5 < y < 4$. A suppression of the inclusive J/$\psi$ yield in Pb-Pb is observed with respect to the one measured in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The nuclear modification factor, integrated over the 0-80% most central collisions, is $0.545 \pm 0.032 \rm{(stat.)} \pm 0.083 \rm{(syst.)}$ and does not exhibit a significant dependence on the collision centrality. These features appear significantly different from measurements at lower collision energies. Models including J/$\psi$ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase can describe our data.

Hadronic resonances are used to probe the hadron gas produced in the late stage of heavy-ion collisions since they decay on the same timescale, of the order of 1 to 10 fm/$c$, as the decoupling time of the system. In the hadron gas, (pseudo)elastic scatterings among the products of resonances that decayed before the kinetic freeze-out and regeneration processes counteract each other, the net effect depending on the resonance lifetime, the duration of the hadronic phase, and the hadronic cross sections at play. In this context, the $\Sigma(1385)^{\pm}$ particle is of particular interest as models predict that regeneration dominates over rescattering despite its relatively short lifetime of about 5.5 fm/$c$. The first measurement of the $\Sigma(1385)^{\pm}$ resonance production at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}= 5.02$ TeV with the ALICE detector is presented in this Letter. The resonances are reconstructed via their hadronic decay channel, $\Lambda\pi$, as a function of the transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and the collision centrality. The results are discussed in comparison with the measured yield of pions and with expectations from the statistical hadronization model as well as commonly employed event generators, including PYTHIA8/Angantyr and EPOS3 coupled to the UrQMD hadronic cascade afterburner. None of the models can describe the data. For $\Sigma(1385)^{\pm}$, a similar behaviour as ${\rm K}^{*} (892)^{0}$ is observed in data unlike the predictions of EPOS3 with afterburner.

$\phi$ meson measurements provide insight into strangeness production, which is one of the key observables for the hot medium formed in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. ALICE measured $\phi$ production through its decay in muon pairs in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV in the intermediate transverse momentum range $2 < p_{\rm T} < 5$ GeV/$c$ and in the rapidity interval $2.5<y<4$. The $\phi$ yield was measured as a function of the transverse momentum and collision centrality. The nuclear modification factor was obtained as a function of the average number of participating nucleons. Results were compared with the ones obtained via the kaon decay channel in the same $p_{\rm T}$ range at midrapidity. The values of the nuclear modification factor in the two rapidity regions are in agreement within uncertainties.

The production of the $\psi(2S)$ charmonium state was measured with ALICE in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV, in the dimuon decay channel. A significant signal was observed for the first time at LHC energies down to zero transverse momentum, at forward rapidity ($2.5<y<4$). The measurement of the ratio of the inclusive production cross sections of the $\psi(2S)$ and J/$\psi$ resonances is reported as a function of the centrality of the collisions and of transverse momentum, in the region $p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$. The results are compared with the corresponding measurements in pp collisions, by forming the double ratio $[\sigma^{\psi(2S)}/\sigma^{J/\psi}]_{\rm{Pb-Pb}}/[\sigma^{\psi(2S)}/\sigma^{J/\psi}]_{\rm{pp}}$. It is found that in Pb-Pb collisions the $\psi(2S)$ is suppressed by a factor of $\sim 2$ with respect to the J/$\psi$. The $\psi(2S)$ nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ was also obtained as a function of both centrality and $p_{\rm T}$. The results show that the $\psi(2S)$ resonance yield is strongly suppressed in Pb-Pb collisions, by a factor up to $\sim 3$ with respect to pp. Comparisons of cross section ratios with previous SPS findings by the NA50 experiment and of $R_{\rm AA}$ with higher-$p_{\rm T}$ results at LHC energy are also reported. These results and the corresponding comparisons with calculations of transport and statistical models address questions on the presence and properties of charmonium states in the quark-gluon plasma formed in nuclear collisions at the LHC.

The prompt production of the charm baryon $\rm \Lambda_{c}^{+}$ and the $\rm \Lambda_{c}^{+}/\mathrm {D^0}$ production ratios were measured at midrapidity with the ALICE detector in pp and p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$TeV. These new measurements show a clear decrease of the $\rm \Lambda_{c}^{+}/\mathrm {D^0}$ ratio with increasing transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) in both collision systems in the range $2<p_{\rm T}<12$ GeV/$c$, exhibiting similarities with the light-flavour baryon-to-meson ratios ${\rm p}/\pi$ and $\Lambda/\mathrm {K^0_S}$. At low $p_{\rm T}$, predictions that include additional colour-reconnection mechanisms beyond the leading-colour approximation; assume the existence of additional higher-mass charm-baryon states; or include hadronisation via coalescence can describe the data, while predictions driven by charm-quark fragmentation processes measured in $\mathrm {e^+e^-}$ and $\mathrm {e^-p}$ collisions significantly underestimate the data. The results presented in this letter provide significant evidence that the established assumption of universality (colliding-system independence) of parton-to-hadron fragmentation is not sufficient to describe charm-baryon production in hadronic collisions at LHC energies.

The study of (anti-)deuteron production in pp collisions has proven to be a powerful tool to investigate the formation mechanism of loosely bound states in high energy hadronic collisions. In this paper the production of (anti-)deuterons is studied as a function of the charged particle multiplicity in inelastic pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using the ALICE experiment. Thanks to the large number of accumulated minimum bias events, it has been possible to measure (anti-)deuteron production in pp collisions up to the same charged particle multiplicity ($\rm{d} N_{ch}/\rm{d}\eta\sim26$) as measured in p-Pb collisions at similar centre-of-mass energies. Within the uncertainties, the deuteron yield in pp collisions resembles the one in p-Pb interactions, suggesting a common formation mechanism behind the production of light nuclei in hadronic interactions. In this context the measurements are compared with the expectations of coalescence and Statistical Hadronisation Models (SHM).

The first measurements of anisotropic flow coefficients $v_{\rm{n}}$ for mid-rapidity charged particles in Xe-Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}} = 5.44$ TeV are presented. Comparing these measurements to those from Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV, $v_{2}$ is found to be suppressed for mid-central collisions at the same centrality, and enhanced for central collisions. The values of $v_{3}$ are generally larger in Xe-Xe than in Pb-Pb at a given centrality. These observations are consistent with expectations from hydrodynamic predictions. When both $v_{2}$ and $v_{3}$ are divided by their corresponding eccentricities for a variety of initial state models, they generally scale with transverse density when comparing Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb, with some deviations observed in central Xe-Xe and Pb-Pb collisions. These results assist in placing strong constraints on both the initial state geometry and medium response for relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

The elliptic, $v_2$, triangular, $v_3$, and quadrangular, $v_4$, azimuthal anisotropic flow coefficients are measured for unidentified charged particles, pions and (anti-)protons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Results obtained with the event plane and four-particle cumulant methods are reported for the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta|<0.8$ at different collision centralities and as a function of transverse momentum, $p_{\rm T}$, out to $p_{\rm T}=20$ GeV/$c$. The observed non-zero elliptic and triangular flow depends only weakly on transverse momentum for $p_{\rm T}>8$ GeV/$c$. The small $p_{\rm T}$ dependence of the difference between elliptic flow results obtained from the event plane and four-particle cumulant methods suggests a common origin of flow fluctuations up to $p_{\rm T}=8$ GeV/$c$. The magnitude of the (anti-)proton elliptic and triangular flow is larger than that of pions out to at least $p_{\rm T}=8$ GeV/$c$ indicating that the particle type dependence persists out to high $p_{\rm T}$.

Measurements of elliptic ($v_2$) and triangular ($v_3$) flow coefficients of $\pi^{\pm}$, K$^{\pm}$, p+$\rm \overline{p}$, K$^0_{\rm S}$, and $\Lambda + \overline{\Lambda}$ obtained with the scalar product method in Xe-Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV are presented. The results are obtained in the rapidity range $\left | y \right |<0.5$ and reported as a function of transverse momentum, $p_{\rm T}$, for several collision centrality classes. The flow coefficients exhibit a particle mass dependence for $p_{\rm T}<3$ GeV/$c$, while a grouping according to particle type (i.e., meson and baryon) is found at intermediate transverse momenta (3< $p_{\rm T}$ <8 GeV/$c$). The magnitude of the baryon $v_{2}$ is larger than that of mesons up to $p_{\rm T}$ = 6 GeV/$c$. The centrality dependence of the shape evolution of the $p_{\rm T}$-differential $v_2$ is studied for the various hadron species. The $v_2$ coefficients of $\pi^{\pm}$, K$^{\pm}$, and p+$\rm \overline{p}$ are reproduced by MUSIC hydrodynamic calculations coupled to a hadronic cascade model (UrQMD) for $p_{\rm T} <1$ GeV/$c$. A comparison with $v_{\rm n}$ measurements in the corresponding centrality intervals in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV yields an enhanced $v_2$ in central collisions and diminished value in semicentral collisions.

The elliptic ($v_2$), triangular ($v_3$), and quadrangular ($v_4$) flow coefficients of $\pi^{\pm}$, ${\rm K}^{\pm}$, ${\rm p+\overline{p}}$, ${\Lambda+\overline{\Lambda}}$, ${\rm K}^{\rm 0}_{\rm S}$, and the $\phi$-meson are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV. Results obtained with the scalar product method are reported for the rapidity range $\vert y \vert <$ 0.5 as a function of transverse momentum, $p_\text{T}$, at different collision centrality intervals between 0-70%, including ultra-central (0-1%) collisions for $\pi^{\pm}$, ${\rm K}^{\pm}$, and ${\rm p+\overline{p}}$. For $p_\text{T} < 3$ GeV$\kern-0.05em/\kern-0.02em c$, the flow coefficients exhibit a particle mass dependence. At intermediate transverse momenta ($3<p_\text{T}<$~8-10 GeV$\kern-0.05em/\kern-0.02em c$), particles show an approximate grouping according to their type (i.e., mesons and baryons). The $\phi$-meson $v_2$, which tests both particle mass dependence and type scaling, follows ${\rm p+\overline{p}}$ $v_2$ at low $p_\text{T}$ and $\pi^{\pm}$ $v_2$ at intermediate $p_\text{T}$. The evolution of the shape of $v_{\rm n}(p_{\mathrm{T}})$ as a function of centrality and harmonic number $n$ is studied for the various particle species. Flow coefficients of $\pi^{\pm}$, ${\rm K}^{\pm}$, and ${\rm p+\overline{p}}$ for $p_\text{T}<3$ GeV$\kern-0.05em/\kern-0.02em c$ are compared to iEBE-VISHNU and MUSIC hydrodynamical calculations coupled to a hadronic cascade model (UrQMD). The iEBE-VISHNU calculations describe the results fairly well for $p_\text{T} < 2.5$ GeV$\kern-0.05em/\kern-0.02em c$, while MUSIC calculations reproduce the measurements for $p_\text{T} < 1$ GeV$\kern-0.05em/\kern-0.02em c$. A comparison to $v_{\rm n}$ coefficients measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV is also provided.