Multiplicity dependence of f$_0$(980) production in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV

Abstract: The dependence of f$0$(980) production on the final-state charged-particle multiplicity is reported for proton-proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy, $\sqrt{s}= 13$ TeV. The production of f$_0$(980) is measured with the ALICE detector via the f$_0(980) \rightarrow \pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ decay channel in a midrapidity region of $|y| < 0.5$. The evolution of the integrated yields and mean transverse momentum of f${0}$(980) as a function of charged-particle multiplicity measured in pp at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV follows the trends observed in pp at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ TeV and in proton-lead (p-Pb) collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV. Particle yield ratios of f${0}$(980) to $\pi^{\pm}$ and K$^{*}$(892)$^{0}$ are found to decrease with increasing charged-particle multiplicity. These particle ratios are compared with calculations from the canonical statistical thermal model as a function of charged-particle multiplicity. The thermal model calculations provide a better description of the decreasing trend of particle ratios when no strange or antistrange quark composition for f${0}$(980) is assumed, which suggests that the tetraquark interpretation of the f$_{0}$(980) is disfavored.