In an exposure of the Argonne National Laboratory 12-foot hydrogen bubble chamber to a beam of 12.4-GeV/c protons, we have measured the total and differential cross sections for the inclusive reactions p+p→γ+X, π0+X, K0+X, and Λ+X, as well as estimates for the inclusive η and Σ0 cross sections. We present the average number of π0, K0, and Λ as a function of the associated charge multiplicity. We observe that the average charge multiplicity in pp collisions is the same whether or not a π0, K0, or Λ is also produced in the interaction. Invariant cross sections are presented as a function of PT2 and x, the Feynman scaling variable. The π0 differential cross sections are consistent with the relation dσdP(π0)=12[dσdP(π+)+dσdP(π−)] for all pion momenta P. The differential cross section for Λ production indicates a break in the distribution of |t−tmin|=1.4 (GeV/c)2. The polarization of the Λ's is found to be consistent with zero for all values of x.
New measurements are reported of total cross sections for π ± , K ± , p and p on protons and deuterons at 11 momenta between 23 and 280 GeV/ c .
Proton and antiproton total cross sections on protons and deuterons have been measured at 50, 100, 150, and 200 GeV/c. The proton cross sections rise with increasing momentum. Antiproton cross sections fall with increasing momentum, but the rate of fall decreases between 50 and 150 GeV/c, and from 150 to 200 GeV/c there is little change in cross section.
The slope b(s) of the forward diffraction peak of p−p elastic scattering has been measured in the momentum-transfer-squared range 0.005≲|t|≲0.09 (GeV/c)2 and at incident proton energies from 8 to 400 GeV. We find that b(s) increases with s, and in the interval 100≲s≲750 (GeV)2 it can be fitted by the form b(s)=b0+2α′lns with b0=8.23±0.27, α′=0.278±0.024 (GeV/c)−2.
We have measured the differential cross section for small angle p−p scattering from 25 to 200 GeV incident energy and in the momentum transfer range 0.015<|t|<0.080 (GeVc)2. We find that the slope of the forward diffraction peak, b(s), increases with energy and can be fitted by the form b(s)=b0+2α′ lns, where b0=8.3±1.3 and α′=0.28±0.13 (GeVc)−2. Such dependence is compatible with the data existing both at higher and lower energies. We have also obtained the energy dependence of the p−p total cross section in the energy range from 48 to 196 GeV. Within our errors which are ± 1.1 mb the total cross section remains constant.
The ratio of π+p to pp elastic scattering is found to be smoothly varying over the range −t=0.03 to 0.4 GeV2. It is well fitted by a single exponential, indicating the forward behavior must be quite similar for the two reactions.
The differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of π+, π−, K+, K−, p, and p¯ on protons have been measured in the t interval -0.04 to -0.75 GeV2 at five momenta: 50, 70, 100, 140, and 175 GeV/c. The t distributions have been parametrized by the quadratic exponential form dσdt=Aexp(B|t|+C|t|2) and the energy dependence has been described in terms of a single-pole Regge model. The pp and K+p diffraction peaks are found to shrink with α′∼0.20 and ∼0.15 GeV−2, respectively. The p¯p diffraction peak is antishrinking while π±p and K−p are relatively energy-independent. Total elastic cross sections are calculated by integrating the differential cross sections. The rapid decline in σel observed at low energies has stopped and all six reactions approach relatively constant values of σel. The ratio of σelσtot approaches a constant value for all six reactions by 100 GeV, consistent with the predictions of the geometric-scaling hypothesis. This ratio is ∼0.18 for pp and p¯p, and ∼0.12-0.14 for π±p and K±p. A crossover is observed between K+p and K−p scattering at |t|∼0.19 GeV2, and between pp and p¯p at |t|∼0.11 GeV2. Inversion of the cross sections into impact-parameter space shows that protons are quite transparent to mesons even in head-on collisions. The probability for a meson to pass through a proton head-on without interaction inelastically is ∼20% while it is only ∼6% for an incident proton or antiproton. Finally, the results are compared with various quark-model predictions.
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