Neutral-pion production in pp interactions has been studied using 8000 photon conversions in the Fermilab 15-ft bubble chamber. Inclusive π0 multiplicity moments and ππ correlation integrals are presented; f200 is determined to be + 3.0±0.8. For the semi-inclusive π0 multiplicity distributions we find 〈n(π0)〉n− to increase with n−, while the dispersions are n− independent. Results on f2−0, f200, and f2,n−00 are compared to predictions of simple cluster models.
Direct photon production cross sections obtained in high statistics p ̄ p and pp collisions at s =24.3 GeV at the CERN SPS are used in a next-to-leading order QCD analysis. From the cross section difference σ( p ̄ p → γX)−σ(pp → γX) and quark distributions measured in deep inelastic scattering, a determination of the strong coupling constant, α s , is performed via a measurement of Λ (4) MS . This measurement yields a value Λ (4) MS = 210±22 ( stat. )±44 ( syst. ) +105 −36 ( theo. ) MeV. The corresponding value of α s expressed at M 2 Z is α s (M 2 Z )=0.1112 ±0.0016 ( stat. ) ±0.0033 ( syst. ) +0.0077 −0.0034 ( theo. ) .
Cross sections for inclusive direct photon production in π−p, π+p, and pp collisions at 300 GeV/c are measured at transverse momenta pT up to 7 GeV/c (xT=0.6). For π−p→γX also the rapidity distribution is presented. The cross-section ratio σ(π−p→γX)/σ(π+p→γX) is found to be 1 at pT=4 GeV/c and rises with increasing pT. This observation signals the occurrence of valence-quark–antiquark annihilation. The results are in good agreement with QCD predictions.