Forward and transverse energies in relativistic heavy ion collisions at 14.6 GeV/c per nucleon.

Abstract

Forward and transverse energy spectra and the correlation between these two global variables have been measured for the interaction of 14.6{ital A} GeV/{ital c} {sup 28}Si ions with {sup 27}Al and {sup 197}Au. The energy in produced particles near midrapidity is observed to be negatively correlated with forward energy. There is minimal target mass dependence of this correlation for peripheral and semicentral interactions (forward energies{gt}80 GeV). However, the fact that transverse energies for more central collisions in Au become increasingly larger than those in Al ({similar to}50% greater in the limit of zero forward energy), provides evidence for multiple interactions of projectile nucleons in the larger target. The experimental results are discussed in terms of calculations based on a model for nucleus-nucleus interactions.