Inclusive deuteron production in 16Op collisions at a momentum of 3.25 GeV/c per nucleon

Abstract

Experimental data on inclusive deuteron production in 16Op collisions at high energies were obtained for the first time under conditions of 4π geometry. An irregularity in the momentum spectrum of deuterons in the rest frame of oxygen nuclei is found in the range 0.40 ≤ p ≤ 0.55 GeV/c, and the reasons for its appearance are discussed. The mean multiplicities of secondary fragments are correlated with the presence of deuterons in an event, these correlations being positive for fragments of charge in the range zf ≤ 4 and negative for fragments of charge in the range 5 ≤ zf ≤ 7. This is likely to be due to baryon-charge conservation.