$f_0$ (980) resonance production in pp collisions with the ALICE detector at the LHC

We report on a preliminary study of the production of $f_0$(980)$\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi^-$ at mid-rapidity (|y|<0.5) performed with the ALICE detector at the LHC in minimum bias pp collisions at the centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$=5.02TeV. The $f_0$(980) signal extraction is challenging due to the large background from correlated $\pi ^+\pi^-$ pairs from other resonance decays in the invariant mass window under study, as well as due to the combinatorics from uncorrelated pairs. We present the strategy for the signal extraction and first results in terms of $p_T$-dependent production yields. The results are discussed and compared with production yields of other resonances and stable hadrons.