Measurements of double-differential charged pion production cross-sections in interactions of 12 GeV/c protons on O_2 and N_2 thin targets are presented in the kinematic range 0.5 GeV/c < p_{\pi} < 8 GeV/c and 50 mrad < \theta_{\pi} < 250 mrad (in the laboratory frame) and are compared with p--C results. For p--N_2 (p--O_2) interactions the analysis is performed using 38576 (7522) reconstructed secondary pions. The analysis uses the beam instrumentation and the forward spectrometer of the HARP experiment at CERN PS. The measured cross-sections have a direct impact on the precise calculation of atmospheric neutrino fluxes and on the improved reliability of extensive air shower simulations by reducing the uncertainties of hadronic interaction models in the low energy range. In particular, the present results allow the common hypothesis that p--C data can be used to predict the p--N_2 and p--O_2 pion production cross-sections to be tested.
Double differential cross section for pion production in P-N2 interactions for the pion scattered polar angle range 50 to 100 mrad.
Double differential cross section for pion production in P-N2 interactions for the pion scattered polar angle range 100 to 150 mrad.
Double differential cross section for pion production in P-N2 interactions for the pion scattered polar angle range 150 to 200 mrad.
The results of the measurements of the double-differential production cross-sections of pions in p-C and $\pi^\pm$-C interactions using the forward spectrometer of the HARP experiment are presented. The incident particles are 12 GeV/c protons and charged pions directed onto a carbon target with a thickness of 5% of a nuclear interaction length. For p-C interactions the analysis is performed using 100035 reconstructed secondary tracks, while the corresponding numbers of tracks for $\pi^-$-C and $\pi^+$-C analyses are 106534 and 10122 respectively. Cross-section results are presented in the kinematic range 0.5 GeV/c $\leq p_{\pi} <$ 8 GeV/c and 30 mrad $\leq \theta_{\pi} <$ 240 mrad in the laboratory frame. The measured cross-sections have a direct impact on the precise calculation of atmospheric neutrino fluxes and on the improved reliability of extensive air shower simulations by reducing the uncertainties of hadronic interaction models in the low energy range.
Double-differential cross section for 12 GeV proton-carbon interactions with the scattered polar angle 30 to 60 mrad.
Double-differential cross section for 12 GeV proton-carbon interactions with the scattered polar angle 60 to 90 mrad.
Double-differential cross section for 12 GeV proton-carbon interactions with the scattered polar angle 90 to 120 mrad.
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