We have measured charged-particle production in neutron-nucleus collisions at high energy. Data on positive and negative particles produced in nuclei [ranging in atomic number (A) from beryllium to lead] are presented for essentially the full forward hemisphere of the center-of-mass system. A rough pion-proton separation is achieved for the positive spectra. Fits of the form Aα to the cross sections are presented as functions of transverse momentum, longitudinal momentum, rapidity, and pseudorapidity. It is found that α changes from ∼0.85 to ∼0.60 for laboratory rapidities ranging from 4 to 8. Trends in the data differ markedly when examined in terms of pseudorapidity rather than rapidity. Qualitatively, the major features of our data can be understood in terms of current particle-production models.
We present the results of a search for leptons produced in coincidence with a prompt muon in neutron-beryllium collisions at 300 GeV/c. The experiment was sensitive to trigger muons and associated leptons of both low momentum and low transverse momentum. A clear μ±μ∓ signal was found, but no significant μ±e∓ signal was observed. We report an upper limit for associated charmed-particle production [σCC¯·B(C→μ+X)·B(C→e+X)] of < 340 nb/nucleon, at the 95% confidence level.
We present the results of a search at Fermilab for the charmed meson, D∘(1865), produced in association with a prompt muon by 300-GeV/c neutrons. We observe no significant enhancement in high-mass K±π∓ systems and report, at the 95% confidence level, an upper limit of 200 nb/nucleon for the production of a pair of charmed particles and their subsequent decay into a K±π∓ state and a prompt muon.
We have studied the coherent dissociation of neutrons into pπ− systems, for a variety of nuclear targets, at incident momenta up to 300 GeV/c. Using a model incorporating both electromagnetic and hadronic production, we have extracted total cross sections for scattering of unstable pπ− systems on nucleons.
Coherent production of Kπ systems observed in the excitation of 200-GeV/c positive kaons on nuclear targets has been analyzed, including both electromagnetic and strong contributions, to yield a new value for the radiative width for the process K*+(890)→K+γ of 51 ± 5 keV.
Using the Primakoff formalism, we have extracted the radiative decay width of the A + 2 (1310) produced in coherent interactions of 200 GeV/ c π + mesons in nuclear targets. The width obtained is 295 ± 60 keV, a value consistent with quark-model predictions.
Using the Primakoff formalism, we have extracted the radiative decay width of the K ∗+ (1430) produced in coherent interactions of 200 GeV/ c K + mesons in nuclear targets. The width obtained is 240 ± 45 keV, a value reasonably consistent with quark-model predictions.
We have carried out a partial-wave analysis (PWA) of three-pion systems produced in the coherent dissociation of π+ mesons on nuclear targets. The data have been analyzed for copper and lead targets at an incident π+ energy of 202.5 GeV. This PWA provides further evidence for resonant contributions to JP=1+ and 0− waves at 3π masses below 1.5 GeV, which can be plausibly identified with A1 and π′ mesons. The contribution from electromagnetic production of the A2 has also been extracted, and an estimate for Coulomb production and radiative width of the A1 has been obtained.
We have measured the coherent nuclear production of low-mass K+ω systems in K+A collisions at 202.5 GeV. Results for carbon, copper, and lead targets are similar to those found for π+π+π− production in π+A reactions at the same energy.
We have carried out a systematic study of the coherent dissociation of pions into 3 pions using nuclear targets. The experiment was performed at Fermilab using a high resolution forward spectrometer. Data were taken with carbon, copper and lead targets at an incident momentum of 202.5 GeV/c. Results are presented on momentum transfers, 3-pion masses, and on the nuclearA-dependence of the production cross section.