Scaling properties of pion production

The scaling of pion multiplicities with system size in proton–nucleus and nucleus–nucleus reactions at 200 A GeV is investigated. A nuclear geometry calculation of incoherent multiple scattering including effects of deceleration of the participating particles is presented. Pion multiplicities at hig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics letters. B 1999, Vol.450 (1), p.7-14
Main Author: Peitzmann, T.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The scaling of pion multiplicities with system size in proton–nucleus and nucleus–nucleus reactions at 200 A GeV is investigated. A nuclear geometry calculation of incoherent multiple scattering including effects of deceleration of the participating particles is presented. Pion multiplicities at high transverse momenta agree relatively well with an overall scaling with the number of binary collisions. The deviations from this gross scaling for p+A and S+Au reactions at 200 AGeV are compared to model predictions and the implications are discussed. Within this picture no universal scaling law for high p T particle production is obtained. In addition to the conceptual problems of such an incoherent model, it is shown that the implied kinematic relation between a possible p T -broadening and deceleration leads to contradictions. The scaling of pion production at intermediate p T with system size does not indicate a multiple scattering enhancement.
ISSN:0370-2693
1873-2445
DOI:10.1016/S0370-2693(99)00121-5