Light-fragment production in proton-xenon interactions between 1 and 19 GeV

Abstract

Energy spectra of fragments (2 ⩽ Z f ⩽ 14) from the interaction of energetic protons and xenon nuclei have been measured over a range of incident proton energies between 1 and 19 GeV using an internal gas jet target in the AGS. Fragment differential cross sections increase by at least an order-of-magnitude between 1 and 10 GeV for all elements. Analysis of the fragment energy spectra indicates the possibility of an additional fragment producing mechanism, consistent with a binary process, at energies below 6 GeV.