Some characteristics of inelastic proton-nucleon collisions produced by protons of energy 6.2 GeV in nuclear emulsions

Abstract

Nuclear interactions produced by protons of energy 6.2 GeV in nuclear emulsions have been analysed to deduce information regarding some of the characteristics of proton-nucleon collisions. 703 disintegrations have been obtained by « along the track » scanning. Accurate measurements of multiple scattering and of grain density have been made on favourable tracks of relativistic secondary particles; using these measurements it has been possible to identify the particles up to the highest energies involved. It is found from this investigation that in collisions of protons of energy 6.2 GeV with nucleons:a) the mean charged pion multiplicity is 1.51±0.18;b) the mean inelasticity is 0.43, and is, within errors, independent of the total multiplicity n _s;c) the nucleons recoiling in the C.M. system are very strongly collimated symmetrically in the forward and backward directions;d) the mesons created in the collision also show an appreciable amount of forward-backward collimation in the C.M. system.