Quarkonia as probes of initial and final states in small systems with ALICE

Abstract: The multiple parton$-$parton interactions (MPIs) are an important element to describe the observed collective flow and strangeness enhancement in high multiplicity pp and p$-$Pb collisions, the so-called small systems. At LHC energy, MPIs affect both soft and hard scales of the event. Since quarkonium production involves both, it can be an excellent tool to understand the role of MPIs in small systems. Study of multiplicity dependent quarkonium production provides an indirect probe of MPIs in hadronic collisions. Also, relative production of excited-to-ground quarkonium states as a function of multiplicity are sensitive to final state effects. Cross section measurements of different quarkonium states are also important to understand their production mechanisms. In these proceedings, first preliminary results of $\psi$(2S)-over-J/$\psi$ cross section measurements at mid and forward rapidity ($\textit{y}$) from Run 2 and Run 3 pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 and 13.6 TeV, respectively will be presented. Preliminary results on $\Upsilon$(nS) states (n = 1,2) cross sections and final multiplicity dependent measurements of excited-to-ground states quarkonium yields, at forward $\textit{y}$, in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV will be shown. In addition, few performance plots from Run 3 in the quarkonium sector will be presented and discussed.