Cross sections and charged multiplicity distributions for π+p,K+p andpp interactions at 250 GeV/c are presented and compared to each other as well as to earlier (for π+p andK+p lower energy) data. Consistently, the meson-proton (M+p) data have narrower multiplicity distributions and higher average multiplicity thanpp data. Up to our energy, generalized KNO functions describe the energy dependence of the shape of the multiplity distribution with one parameter forM+p and one forpp collisions. If interpreted in terms of negative binomials, the parameter 1/k tends to be slightly lower forM+p than forpp data. For both types of hadron-hadron collision, 1/k is larger than fore+e− andlp collisions.
The multiplicities of charged secondaries in proton-proton collisions were determined using the split-field-magnet detector at the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR). Measurements are presented on multiplicity distributions both for inelastic and non-single-diffractive events at four different energies s=30.4, 44.5, 52.6, and 62.2 GeV. The results reported here represent the first high-statistics measurement of charged multiplicity distributions at ISR energies with a magnetic detector covering nearly the full solid angle.