Phi meson production is studied by the NA49 collaboration in central Pb+Pb collisions at 20A, 30A, 40A, 80A and 158A GeV beam energy. The data are compared to measurements at lower and higher energies and to microscopic and thermal models. The energy dependence of yields and spectral distributions is compatible with the assumption that partonic degrees of freedom set in at low SPS energies.
PHI transverse momentum spectra at incident energy 20 GeV/nucleon integrated over the rapidity range 0 to 1.8.
PHI transverse momentum spectra at incident energy 30 GeV/nucleon integrated over the rapidity range 0 to 1.8.
PHI transverse momentum spectra at incident energy 40 GeV/nucleon integrated over the rapidity range 0 to 1.5.