In this paper we analyze in detail the production of strangeness in proton-proton collisions in the kinematics of large transverse momenta $p_T$ of produced hadrons. Using the color dipole framework, we estimate the production cross sections for kaons and demonstrate that the shapes of the $p_T$ dependence are in agreement with available experimental data. We also analyze the self-normalized yields of strange hadrons as a function of multiplicity of coproduced hadrons, and find that the predictions are in agreement with the faster-than-linear growth seen in experimental data. Our description is largely parameter free and extends our previous studies dedicated to the explanation of multiplicity enhancement of quarkonia, as well as open heavy flavor $D$ and $B$ mesons.

• Received 7 January 2021
• Accepted 1 July 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.104.016024

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Published by the American Physical Society