Data on the mean multiplicity of strange hadrons produced in minimum bias proton--proton and central nucleus--nucleus collisions at momenta between 2.8 and 400 GeV/c per nucleon have been compiled. The multiplicities for nucleon--nucleon interactions were constructed. The ratios of strange particle multiplicity to participant nucleon as well as to pion multiplicity are larger for central nucleus--nucleus collisions than for nucleon--nucleon interactions at all studied energies. The data at AGS energies suggest that the latter ratio saturates with increasing masses of the colliding nuclei. The strangeness to pion multiplicity ratio observed in nucleon--nucleon interactions increases with collision energy in the whole energy range studied. A qualitatively different behaviour is observed for central nucleus--nucleus collisions: the ratio rapidly increases when going from Dubna to AGS energies and changes little between AGS and SPS energies. This change in the behaviour can be related to the increase in the entropy production observed in central nucleus-nucleus collisions at the same energy range. The results are interpreted within a statistical approach. They are consistent with the hypothesis that the Quark Gluon Plasma is created at SPS energies, the critical collision energy being between AGS and SPS energies.

Data on the mean multiplicity ofπ- produced in minimum bias proton-proton, proton-neutron and proton-nucleus interactions as well as central nucleus-nucleus collisions at momenta of 1.4–400 GeV/c per nucleon have been compiled and studied. The results for neutron-neutron and nucleon-nucleon interactions were then constructed. The dependence of the mean pion multiplicity in proton-nucleus interactions and central collisions of identical nuclei are studied as a function of the collision energy and the nucleus mass number. The number of produced pions per participant nucleon in central collisions of identical nuclei is found to be independent of the number of participants at a fixed incident momentum per nucleon. The mean multiplicity of negatively charged hadrons per participant nucleon for central nucleus-nucleus collisions is lower by about 0.12 than the corresponding multiplicity for nucleon-nucleon interactions atpLAB≲15 A·GeV/c, whereas the result at 200 A·GeV/c is above the corresponding nucleon-nucleon multiplicity. This may indicate change of the collision dynamics at high energy.

Interactions between 4.15-Bev protons and the free hydrogen nuclei in nuclear emulsion are examined. The total elastic cross section from 27 events was determined to be 11.0±2.6 mb. On the basis of 113 interactions the total inelastic cross section was found to be 28.1±3.1 mb. The partial cross sections corresponding to inelastic collisions having two, four, six, and eight secondary particles were found to be respectively 16.3±2.4, 11.5±1.8, 0.2±0.1, and 0.1±0.1 mb. While the total inelastic cross section varies slowly with energy, the partial inelastic cross sections were found to be strongly energy dependent. The observed angular distribution of elastically scattered protons in the center-of-mass system was sharply peaked in the forward and backward directions, in fair agreement with calculations based on a simple optical model applicable for energies between 2 and 10 Bev. Particles produced in inelastic collisions were identified as pions or protons by measurements of energy loss and multiple scattering. For those particles identified, center-of-mass system distributions of energy, angle, and transverse momentum are presented.

Ilford G-5 emulsions were exposed to an external, 3.5 GeY proton beam of the Berkeley Bevatron. A total of 1200 nuclear interactions of beam protons was located, of which 128 were identified as protonproton collisions. Multiple scattering, blob density, range and angle measurements were employed to determine the cross-sections for elastic and inelastic interactions as well as the identities and center-of-mass system momenta and scattering angles of secondaries from inelastic proton-proton interactions. This analysis indicates a cross-section of (8.0±2.4) mb for elastic events, (24.1±2.9) mb for two-prong inelasitc events, (7.9±1.4)mb for four-prong events and (0.6±0.3) mb for sixprong events. The mean charged pion multiplicity in inelastic interactions is 1.5±0.2 and corresponds to an average degree of inelasticity of 0.45 ±0.06. Center-of-mass system angular distributions of charged secondaries from inelastic events display a peaking for small scattering angles which is most pronounced for protons and pions from events with low secondary multiplicity. Momentum and transverse momentum distributions of secondary protons and pions from inelastic events are presented and compared with the results at other energies. The angular distribution of elastically scattered protons is found to be in fair agreement with that predicted by a uniform optical model of radius 1.25-10-13 cm and opacity 0.66.

Results are presented on the exclusive production of four-prong final states in photon-photon collisions from the TPC/Two-Gamma detector at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP. Measurement of dE/dx and momentum in the time-projection chamber (TPC) provides identification of the final states 2π+2π−, K+K−π+π−, and 2K+2K−. For two quasireal incident photons, both the 2π+2π− and K+K−π+π− cross sections show a steep rise from threshold to a peak value, followed by a decrease at higher mass. Cross sections for the production of the final states ρ0ρ0, ρ0π+π−, and φπ+π− are presented, together with upper limits for φρ0, φφ, and K*0K¯ *0. The ρ0ρ0 contribution dominates the four-pion cross section at low masses, but falls to nearly zero above 2 GeV. Such behavior is inconsistent with expectations from vector dominance but can be accommodated by four-quark resonance models or by t-channel factorization. Angular distributions for the part of the data dominated by ρ0ρ0 final states are consistent with the production of JP=2+ or 0+ resonances but also with isotropic (nonresonant) production. When one of the virtual photons has mass (mγ2=-Q2≠0), the four-pion cross section is still dominated by ρ0ρ0 at low final-state masses Wγγ and by 2π+2π− at higher mass. Further, the dependence of the cross section on Q2 becomes increasingly flat as Wγγ increases.

The cross section for the reaction pp → Σ + K + n at 5 GeV/ c is measured to be 48.1 ± 3.5 μ b. The KΣ mass spectrum shows an enhancement at 1.86 GeV, which may due to the Δ (1920) resonance. Adequacy of the one-pion exchange model for the reaction is discussed. The cross section for the reaction pp → Σ + K o p is found to be 24.9 ± 2.3 μ b.

Data on multiplicities of charged particles produced in proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at 200 GeV per nucleon are presented. It is shown that the mean multiplicity of negative particles is proportional to the mean number of nucleons participating in the collision both for nucleus-nucleus and proton-nucleus collisions. The apparent consistency of pion multiplicity data with the assumption of an incoherent superposition of nucleon-nucleon collisions is critically discussed.

We report a measurement of the reaction γγ→K+K−π+π− in both tagged and untagged events at PEP. The cross section rises with invariant γγ mass to about 15 nb at 2 GeV and falls slowly at higher masses. We find clear evidence for the processes γγ→φπ+π− and γγ→K*0(892)Kπ. Upper limits (95% C.L.) of 1.5 and 5.7 nb in the mass range from 1.7 to 3.7 GeV are obtained for φρ0 and K*0K¯*0 production, respectively.

Differential cross sections as a function of momentum are presented for the production of K+ mesons in p−p collisions at incident proton energies of 2.54, 2.88, and 3.03 GeV. The measurements were made at 20°, 30°, and 40° relative to the direction of the internal proton beam of the Princeton-Pennsylvania accelerator. At 2.54 GeV, the results follow closely the predictions from phase space (with 60% K+ΣN and 40% K+Λp in the final state). At 2.88 and 3.03 GeV, however, there is a definite disagreement with phase space. The data are compared to the predictions of three models: (1) a model based on the assumption that K's are produced via p+p→K++X+, where X+ is a B=2, S=−1 resonance which decays into a nucleon+hyperon; (2) the isobar model; and (3) the one-pion-exchange model. Model (1) is found to be inconclusive, model (2) is inadequate, and model (3) is partly successful in predicting total cross sections, but not in interpreting the detailed experimental observations.

The reaction e^+e^- -> e^+e^- proton antiproton is studied with the L3 detector at LEP. The analysis is based on data collected at e^+e^- center-of-mass energies from 183 GeV to 209 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 667 pb^-1. The gamma gamma -> proton antiproton differential cross section is measured in the range of the two-photon center-of-mass energy from 2.1 GeV to 4.5 GeV. The results are compared to the predictions of the three-quark and quark-diquark models.