Inclusive production of neutral strange particles in 250-GeV/cπ−pinteractions

Abstract

Neutral-strange-particle production has been studied in a 46000-picture exposure in the Fermilab 15-ft bubble chamber. Cross sections for inclusive production of ${K}_{s}^{0}$, $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$, and $\overline{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ are given and compared with data at lower energies. The ${K}_{s}^{0}$'s are produced principally in the central region of rapidity with a cross section which increases with energy. The $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$'s are produced principally by proton fragmentation, whereas the $\overline{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$'s are centrally produced. Correlations of ${K}_{s}^{0}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ and ${K}_{s}^{0}{K}_{s}^{0}$ are shown to be different from those for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$.