Multiplicity dependence of two-particle angular correlations of identified particles in pp collisions at $$\mathbf {\sqrt{s} = 13}$$ TeV

Abstract Two-particle angular correlations probe particle production mechanisms and the underlying event-wide phenomena present in hadronic collisions. The correlations are examined as a function of rapidity and azimuthal-angle differences ( $$\Delta y, \Delta \varphi $$ Δ y , Δ φ ) for pairs of like- and unlike-sign pions, kaons, and (anti-)protons produced in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ s = 13 TeV, measured by the ALICE experiment. Two-particle correlation functions are provided together with $$\Delta y$$ Δ y and $$\Delta \varphi $$ Δ φ projections and compared to Monte Carlo (MC) model predictions. For the first time, the measurement is performed as a function of the event’s charged-particle density. Previous studies conducted for pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ s = 7 TeV at ALICE revealed a near-side anticorrelation for baryon–baryon and antibaryon–antibaryon pairs, whose origin remains unresolved. Here, an additional approach is introduced to study the multiplicity dependence and the expected inverse multiplicity scaling of the correlation function. This method highlights qualitative differences in the underlying sources of correlations, such as quantum-statistics effects, final-state interactions, and resonance decays. The puzzling near-side anticorrelation in baryon baryon measurements is observed across all multiplicity classes and continues to challenge current particle-production models. Furthermore, the multiplicity dependence of the correlations between mesons provides an independent probe of the sensitivity of current MC models to soft-QCD effects and hadronization dynamics. The presented measurements, together with the baryon results, enrich the experimental picture of two-particle correlations in pp collisions and serve as valuable input for ongoing theoretical developments.