System-size and event-shape dependence of particle-identified balance functions in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV using PYTHIA 8 and EPOS models

We investigate charge-balance functions for pion, kaon, and proton pairs in proton-proton (pp) collisions at s = 13 TeV using Monte Carlo models, and , with transverse spherocity to classify event topology and charged-particle multiplicity to select system size. Simulations with and reveal that balance-function widths in rapidity and azimuthal angle depend on multiplicity and event shape. In , widths decrease monotonically with multiplicity, consistent with local charge conservation in a fragmentation-dominated scenario. In contrast, the model, especially when using the core corona implementation, exhibits a more intricate response, where the combined effects of hydrodynamic radial flow and longitudinal diffusion result in narrower azimuthal correlations and broader rapidity correlations. These features are characteristic signatures of collective dynamics, similar to those observed in heavy-ion collisions. Events with low spherocity, which are jetlike in nature, exhibit significantly narrower balance-function widths compared to isotropic events with high spherocity, illustrating that event-shape selection provides clear sensitivity to the underlying dynamics of particle production in pp collisions. The species dependence and event-shape sensitivity of the balance-function widths provide information about the hadronization dynamics and collectivity in small systems. These results demonstrate that multidimensional, particle-species-dependent balance-function measurements can disentangle the underlying mechanisms of charge correlations and mediumlike behavior in high-multiplicity pp collisions.