Variation of average charged particle multiplicity inp-nucleus interactions with energy and the two component description of particle production at high energies

Abstract

Experimental data on average shower particle multiplicity (〈N s〉) accumulated onp-nucleus interactions in the wide momentum region of 7.1–8000 GeV/c is investigated. It is observed that 〈N s〉 is represented exceedingly well as a function of (v vS). There are two physical processes which represent the experimental data reasonably well in the two momentum regionsviz 7.1–67.9 GeV/c and 67.9–8000 GeV/c. 〈N s〉=a( S)/+ fits the data in the low momentum region, whereas 〈N s〉=a +b ln (v vS) fits the experimental data in the high momentum region. The two physical processes are unified and represented by a single equation which is shown to be the consequence of two component theory and collective models.