From light- to heavy-quark fragmentation in jets: current measurements in pp collisions with the ALICE detector and perspectives

The goal of the ALICE experiment at the LHC is to investigate the properties of the high-density state of strongly-interacting matter produced in Pb–Pb collisions. Partons propagating in a coloured medium interact with it leading to a softening of the parton pT spectrum. The parton fragmentation function can be influenced by in-medium interactions leading to particle dependent modifications. Fragmentation function measurements in pp collisions are fundamental as reference for the Pb–Pb measurements and per se in order to constrain fragmentation models. The jet fragmentation into charged particles, pions, kaons, and protons measured by ALICE in pp collisions are presented. Different PYTHIA tunes are challenged in reproducing jet fragmentation into light particles. The measurement of the fragmentation of charm into heavier hadrons like the D mesons is being explored as well. The first studies and the perspectives for the LHC-Run2 are reported.