Kaon and Φ production versus participants in nuclearcollisions

Abstract

Data on kaon and Φ production in nuclear collisions as a function ofcentrality are analysed both in the AGS and SPS energy range. We compare theresults of several experiments, looking fora common trend in `participantscaling' of production yields. We find a smooth description of scaled kaonand Φ yields as a function of participant density. We also show aparticipant density dependence of kaons and Φ produced in theforward hemisphere for proton-nucleus collisions.