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 measured the invariant cross section for inclusive ϕ production in proton-nucleus collisions at 400 GeV/c near Feynman x=0. For transverse momenta in the range between 0.8 and 3.5 GeV/c the ratio of ϕ to π− rises from 1 to 7%. We also report on correlations with particles opposite the ϕ in the center-of-mass system as they relate to the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule.
The upgraded Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF II) has a high bandwidth available for track based triggers. This capability in conjunction with the unprecedented integrated luminosity in excess of 1 fb −1 enables detailed studies of charm hadron production. CDF is now releasing first measurements of the prompt charm meson pair cross sections, which give access to QCD mechanisms by which charm quarks are produced in proton anti-proton collisions. Recent results on the spin alignment of J/ψ and ψ(2S) as well as on the relative production of the χc1(P1) and χc2(1P) challenge our understanding of the fragmentation of charm quarks into charmonium states.
Measurements of the energy and t dependence of diffractive Jψ photoproduction are presented. A significant rise in the cross section over the energy range 60-300 GeV is observed. It is found that (30±4)% of the events are inelastic.
Momentum spectra for forward Σ− production on beryllium by protons of momentum 25.8 and 29.4 GeVc are presented. Data for the two primary proton momenta are compared for scaling behavior in the invariant cross section. In addition, the observed single-particle momentum distributions are compared with single-particle spectra from other inclusive reactions initiated by protons.
Momentum spectra for forward Σ− and Ξ− production by protons on beryllium are presented. Σ− production data for two primary proton momenta are compared to test scaling of the invariant cross section. In addition, the observed single-particle momentum distributions are compared with single-particle spectra from other inclusive reactions initiated by protons.
We have measured the production polarization of 265- and 310-GeV/c Σ− in the inclusive reaction p+Cu→Σ−+X using 400-GeV/c protons. The polarization was analyzed via the asymmetry in the weak decay Σ−→n+π−, and has typical values of +0.20 with respect to the direction of the cross product of the incident-proton and Σ− momenta. Using the spin-precession technique, we have determined the Σ− magnetic moment to be -1.23±0.03±0.03 nuclear magnetons, where the statistical and systematic errors are shown separately.
We have measured the cross section for production of ψ and ψ′ in p¯ and π− interactions with Be, Cu, and W targets in experiment E537 at Fermilab. The measurements were performed at 125 GeV/c using a forward dimuon spectrometer in a closed geometry configuration. The gluon structure functions of the p¯ and π− have been extracted from the measured dσdxF spectra of the produced ψ's. From the p¯W data we obtain, for p¯, xG(x)=(2.15±0.7)[1−x](6.83±0.5)[1+(5.85±0.95)x]. In the π− case, we obtain, from the W and the Be data separately, xG(x)=(1.49±0.03)[1−x](1.98±0.06) (for π−W), xG(x)=(1.10±0.10)[1−x](1.20±0.20) (for π−Be).