We present results from the initial run of Fermilab experiment E706. The data include incident π− and p beams at 500 GeV/c on Be and Cu targets, and span the kinematic ranges of transverse momentum and rapidity of 3.5≤pT≤10 GeV/c and −0.7≤yc.m.≤0.7, respectively. We have measured cross sections for π0 and direct-photon production, as well as the ηπ0 production ratio. From the data on Be and Cu, we have extracted the nuclear dependence of π0 production, parametrized as Aα. The cross sections are compared with next-to-leading-log QCD predictions for different choices of the QCD momentum scales and several sets of parton distribution functions.
We have measured cross sections for forward neutron production from a variety of targets using proton beams from the Fermilab Main Injector. Measurements were performed for proton beam momenta of 58 GeV/c, 84 GeV/c, and 120 GeV/c. The cross section dependence on the atomic weight (A) of the targets was found to vary as $A^(alpha)$ where $\alpha$ is $0.46\pm0.06$ for a beam momentum of 58 GeV/c and 0.54$\pm$0.05 for 120 GeV/c. The cross sections show reasonable agreement with FLUKA and DPMJET Monte Carlos. Comparisons have also been made with the LAQGSM Monte Carlo.
Nuclear transparencies measured in exclusive incoherent ρ0 meson production from hydrogen, deuterium, carbon, calcium, and lead in muon-nucleus scattering are reported. The data were obtained with the E665 spectrometer using the Fermilab Tevatron muon beam with a mean beam energy of 470 GeV. Increases in the nuclear transparencies are observed as the virtuality of the photon increases, in qualitative agreement with the expectations of color transparency.