From 2728 events of 205-GeV pp interactions found in 15 000 pictures taken with the 30-in. hydrogen bubble chamber at the National Accelerator Laboratory, a total cross section of 39.5±1.1 mb was measured. The mean charged-particle multiplicity for inelastic pp collisions was measured to be 7.65±0.17. The prong distribution from 2 to 22 prongs is broader than a Poisson distribution and has a width parameter f2−=〈n−(n−−1)〉−〈n−〉2=0.95±0.21.
The charged-particle multiplicity distribution in 205−GeVc proton-proton interactions is presented. In addition, the total diffractive contributions to each charged multiplicity are estimated assuming a factorizable Pomeron.
We have measured the differential cross section for small angle p−p scattering from 25 to 200 GeV incident energy and in the momentum transfer range 0.015<|t|<0.080 (GeVc)2. We find that the slope of the forward diffraction peak, b(s), increases with energy and can be fitted by the form b(s)=b0+2α′ lns, where b0=8.3±1.3 and α′=0.28±0.13 (GeVc)−2. Such dependence is compatible with the data existing both at higher and lower energies. We have also obtained the energy dependence of the p−p total cross section in the energy range from 48 to 196 GeV. Within our errors which are ± 1.1 mb the total cross section remains constant.