Cumulative particle production on proton and nucleus beams

Abstract

The experimental results from a systematic study of cumulative π ± , K ± , p, and d production in the inclusive process B+A→c+X are presented. The beam B was protons, deuterons, helium nuclei, or carbon nuclei with momentum per nucleon equal to 4.5 GeV/ c. The A dependence of the cross sections was measured for these beams for fixed secondary-particle momentum equal to 0.5 GeV/ c and emission angle ϑ=120°. The fragmenting nuclei are D, He, 6 Li, 7 Li, C, Al, Si, Cu, 58 Ni, 64 Ni, 64 Zn, 114 Sn, 124 Sn, and Pb. The energy dependence of the π ± -meson, proton, and deuteron cross sections in the momentum range 0.3–0.7 GeV/ c (ϑ=120°) was measured for 58 Ni, 64 Ni, 64 Zn, 114 Sn, 124 Sn, and Pb nuclei using an 8.9 GeV/ c proton beam. Details of the behavior of the cross sections were found in various nuclear fragmentation regions. The behavior of the exponent of the A dependence of the proton, deuteron, and pion cross sections as a function of the mass number of the nuclei in the primary beam was studied. The results are compared with the data available in the literature. Various models of cumulative particle production in interactions of hadrons and nuclei with nuclei at various beam energies are discussed. Tables of invariant differential cross sections are presented, along with the results of fitting the energy dependence of the cross sections in various representations.