Large pT from the fragmentation of 1.2-GeV/nucleon La-139 nuclei

The first measurements of the transverse momenta (pT) of heavy projectile fragments produced by fragmentation of 1.2-GeV/nucleon La are presented. The momentum distributions of the fragments (Z of about 26-56) are Gaussians and broader than predicted by models based on internal momenta of the projec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 1988-04, Vol.60, p.1699-1702
Main Authors: Brady, F P, Christie, W B, Romero, J L, Tull, C E, McEachern, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The first measurements of the transverse momenta (pT) of heavy projectile fragments produced by fragmentation of 1.2-GeV/nucleon La are presented. The momentum distributions of the fragments (Z of about 26-56) are Gaussians and broader than predicted by models based on internal momenta of the projectile nucleons. The larger pT observed do not appear to be due solely to Coulomb effects, but are consistent with a simple model whereby nucleons from the (hot) overlap region recoil collectively into the (colder) projectile fragments. Thus pT and the fragment mass may provide a good indication of the vector impact parameter b. (Author)
ISSN:0031-9007
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.60.1699