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.
Muon pair production is studied in p - W and S U collisions at 200 GeV per nucleon, as a function of transverse momentum P Tμμ . The inclusive ϱ + ω and Φ differential cross-sections dσ dP T are measured in the dimuon decay channel, for P T ≥ 0.6 GeV/c, in the central rapidity region, 3.0≤ y ≤ 4.0. Assuming the power law A-dependence σ = σ 0 ( A beam · A target ) α , the study of the integrated cross-sections for p - W and S U collisions leads to α ϱ + ω = 1.00±0.02±0.07 and α Φ = 1.23±0.03±0.05, showing clear evidence of Φ enhancement in S U interactions as compared to p - W collisions.
The inclusive production of omega and phi mesons is studied in the backward region of the interaction of 12 GeV protons with polyethylene, carbon, and copper targets. The mesons are measured in e^+ e^- decay channels. The production cross sections of the mesons are presented as functions of rapidity y and transverse momentum p_T. The nuclear mass number dependences (A dependences) are found to be A^{0.710 +/- 0.021(stat) +/- 0.037(syst)} for omega mesons and A^{0.937 +/- 0.049(stat) +/- 0.018(syst)} for phi mesons in the region of 0.9 < y < 1.7 and p_T < 0.75 GeV/c.
In a joint effort the CERES/NA45 and TAPS collaborations have measured low-mass electron pairs in p–Be and p–Au collisions at 450 GeV/c at the CERN SPS. In the range covered up to ≈ 1.5 GeV/c2 the mass spectra from p–Be and p–Au collisions are well explained by electron pairs from decays of neutral mesons. For p–Au our result is new. For p–Be, the simultaneously measured electron pair inclusive pair spectrum in which instrumental uncertainties are highly reduced. We confirm the earlier finding of HELIOS-1 with significantly reduced systematic uncertainties of 23% in the mass range below 450 MeV/c2, and of 28% in the mass range above 750 MeV/c2 at 90% confidence limit. Any unconventional source of electron pairs is limited by these error margins as the percentage fraction of the hadronic contribution.
Yields and phase space distributions of φ -mesons emitted from p+p (minimum bias trigger), p+Pb (at various centralities) and central Pb+Pb collisions are reported ( E beam =158 A GeV). The decay φ →K + K − was used for identification. The φ / π ratio is found to increase by a factor of 3.0±0.7 from inelastic p+p to central Pb+Pb. Significant enhancement in this ratio is also observed in subclasses of p+p events (characterized by high charged-particle multiplicity) as well as in the forward hemisphere of central p+Pb collisions. In Pb+Pb no shift or significant broadening of the φ -peak is seen.
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