Double maximum angular distributions in high energy nuclear collisions

Abstract

A detailed statistical analysis of the shape of the angular distribution of secondary particles generated in 65 nuclear collisions for primary energies higher than 1012 eV has been presented. The double maximum shape of the distribution (in coordinate log tgθ) is a general feature of the events with high degree of anisotropy of secondaries in CM system. It has been found that the shape of the angular distribution is in agreement with the predictions of the two-centre model of multiple meson production both for nucleon-nucleon and nucleon-heavy nucleus collision. A new parameterD, which is a measure of the deviation from the normal shape of the distribution towards the two centre distribution and also a coordinate convenient for visualizing this deviation, have been introduced.