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 and resonances over a wide momentum range both in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. In this report, particle-identification detectors and techniques, as well as achieved performance, are shortly reviewed. The current results on hadron transverse momentum spectra measured in pp collisions at root s = 0.9 TeV and 7 TeV, and in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV are shown. In particular, proton-proton 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 root s(NN) = 0.2 TeV and predictions for the LHC.