Subthreshold K+ production in proton-nucleus collisions

Double differential K⁺ cross sections have been measured in p+C collisions at 1.2, 1.5 and 2.5 GeV beam energy and in p+Pb collisions at 1.2 and 1.5 GeV. The K⁺ spectrum taken at 2.5 GeV can be reproduced quantitatively by a model calculation which takes into account first chance proton-nucleon collisions and internal momentum with energy distribution of nucleons according to the spectral function. At 1.2 and 1.5 GeV beam energy the K⁺ data excess significantly the model predictions for first chance collisions. When taking secondary processes into account the results of the calculations are in much better agreement with the data.     

Subthreshold K+ production in proton-nucleus collisions

Double differential K⁺cross sections have been measured in p+C collisions at 1.2, 1.5 and 2.5 GeV beam energy and in p+Pb collisions at 1.2 and 1.5 GeV. The K⁺ spectrum taken at 2.5 GeV can be reproduced quantitatively by a model calculation which takes into account first chance proton-nucleon collisions and internal momentum with energy distribution of nucleons according to the spectral function. At 1.2 and 1.5 GeV beam energy the K⁺ data excess significantly the model predictions for first chance collisions. When taking secondary processes into account the results of the calculations are in much better agreement with the data.     

Inclusive K+-meson production in proton-nucleus interactions

The production of K⁺-mesons in pA (A = D, C, Cu, Ag, Au) collisions has been investigated at the COoler SYnchrotron COSY-Jülich for beam energies T_p = 1.0-2.3 GeV. Double differential inclusive pC cross-sections at forward angles _{K^+} < 12^° as well as the target mass dependence of the K⁺ momentum spectra have been measured with the ANKE spectrometer. Far below the free NN threshold at T_NN = 1.58 GeV the spectra reveal a high degree of collectivity in the target nucleus. From the target mass dependence of the cross-sections at higher energies, the repulsive in-medium potential of the K⁺-mesons can be deduced. Using pN cross-section parameterisations from the literature and our measured pD data we derive a cross-section ratio (pnK⁺X)/(ppK⁺X) (3-4).     

SubthresholdK + production in proton-nucleus collisions

We analyzed theK ⁺ production at projectile energies below the free nucleon-nucleon threshold in proton-nucleus collisions and studied the contribution from different reaction channels to this process. It was shown that the secondary pion-nucleon (+N+K ⁺) channel significantly prevails over the direct (p+N+N+K ⁺) one. The momentum and angularK ⁺ spectra were calculated in the framework of different production channels in order to propose experimental measurements which allow to distinguish the mechanisms discussed. We also studiedK ⁺ d correlations and considered the deuteron reabsorption in the nuclear medium as well as the fast deuteron background. The features ofK ⁺ p correlations related to the different production channels were analyzed as well.     

Experimental study of the subthreshold production of K +-mesons in proton-nucleus collisions

Energy dependence of the differential cross sections for the production of K ⁺-mesons with a momentum of 1.28 GeV/c (c is the speed of light) by protons incident on Be, Al, Cu, and Ta nuclei was measured for energies both above and below the K ⁺-meson production threshold in pp collisions. Evidence is given for the dominance of the mechanism of direct production in the experiment. The characteristics of momentum distribution are determined for nucleons in the Be and Al nuclei up to 650 MeV/c. The data cannot be described in the model of nuclear spectral function.     

Calculations of K± and ϕ production in near-threshold proton-nucleus collisions

K^± and ? meson production in proton-nucleus (pA) collisions has been calculated within a BUU transport model. It is shown that the nucleon-hyperon strangeness transfer channel is essential. The role of three-body reactions has been investigated within the medium. The target mass dependence of ? production is predicted to give important information on the in-medium properties of all three mesons.     

Fast deuteron production in proton-nucleus interactions

Deuteron formation in proton-nucleus reactions due to the coalescence mechanism with final-state interaction between nucleons is discussed in order to establish the kinematical region of the validity of this approach. The experimental data on fast deuteron production in proton-nucleus collisions at bombarding energies above 3 GeV are analyzed. It is shown that most experimental results were obtained for deuteron momenta below the critical limit of the coalescence model. It is discussed to which extent further experimental studies could help to identify contributions from the coalescence mechanism and to get better understanding of the fast deuteron-production process.This article was processed by the author using the LATEX style filepljour2 from Springer-Verlag.     

Quark production in high-energy proton-nucleus collisions

In this note, we discuss the problem of quark-antiquark pair production in the framework of the color glass condensate. The cross-section can be calculated in closed form for the case of proton-nucleus collisions, where the proton can be considered to be a dilute object. We find that -factorization is broken by rescattering effects.Arrival of the final proofs: 4 May 2005PACS: 11.80.La, 11.15.Kc     

SubthresholdK + production in proton-nucleus collisions as a probe for short range nucleon correlations

Double differential cross sections for nearthreshold and subthreshold production ofK ⁺ with momentum 1.28 GeV/c at 10.5 degree on Be, Al and Cu targets had been measured. The experiment was performed with FH Spectrometer at ITEP PS in projectile proton kinetic energy range 2.9 – 1.65 GeV. The performed analysis of the excitation functions and target atomic mass dependencies evidences for high order multinucleon correlations are involved in deep subthreshold kaon production.     

Antideuteron production in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions

The experimental data of the antideuteron production in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions are analyzed within a simple model based on the diagrammatic approach to the coalescence model. This model is shown to be able to reproduce most of the existing data without any additional parameter. Received: 18 April 2002 / Accepted: 30 August 2002 / Published online: 17 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: duperray@isn.in2p3.fr RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: protasov@isn.in2p3.fr RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: avoronin@aha.ru Communicated by A. Molinari     

Charmonium production in proton-nucleon and proton-nucleus collisions

Systematic nuclear effects discovered in the production ofJ/ψ particles in high-energy proton-nucleus collisions cannot be explained within the conventional picture in which a heavy color singlet $Q\bar Q$ pair, after its production, experiences multiple scattering from nucleons of the residual nucleus. We propose to take into account color octet intermediate states formed in the primary production of the heavy-quark pairs. Using a perturbative QCD analysis we study the microscopic production mechanism for $Q\bar Q$ pairs through gluon-gluon fusion with subsequent color neutralization in a strongly interacting medium. The influence of the surrounding matter on this process is investigated.     

K + production inp-nucleus collisions

We present a non-perturbative dynamical study ofK ⁺ meson production in proton-nucleus collisions from 1.2 to 2.5 GeV bombarding energy. The dynamical evolution of the proton-nucleus collision is described by a transport equation of the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck type evolving phase-space distribution functions for nucleons, δ’s,N(1440)’s,N(1535)’s, poins and η’s with their isospin degrees of freedom. We incorporate all known sources forK ⁺ production and study their momentum and angular distributions, and the excitation function. We show that at lower energies (E _b<1.5 GeV)NΔ andNN* channels dominate the kaon yield for light systems, and the πN channel for heavy systems. At higher bombarding energies the directNN channel accounts for almost the whole cross-section.     

Strange particle production in proton-nucleus reactions at ultrarelativistic energies

Enhanced yields of lambdas and other strange hadrons in experiments on nuclear targets at incident energies of 200 GeV have been recently reported by several experimental groups. We calculated events for proton projectiles on different targets in the framework of the relativistic quantum molecular dynamics approach which is based on string excitation and fragmentation with subsequent hadronic collisions. Here we address the question whether the experimentally found lambda enhancement in hadron-nucleus collisions can be understood by interactions of secondary hadrons formed in the target nucleus. Our results for Λ's, kaons and \(\bar \Lambda 's\) agree well with the experimental measurements. We find a doubling of lambda production in the target fragmentation region forp collisions on heavy targets due to nuclear cascading of the produced mesons. Resonances play an important role in creating strange quark pairs confirming earlier findings of their outstanding role inAA collisions.     

Multi-nucleon mechanism for subthreshold antiproton production in proton-nucleus reactions

We study a many-body (multipion) mechanism for ¯p subthreshold production in proton-nucleus collisions. The incoming proton and the interacting nucleons in the target act as sources of pions that merge to produce a nucleon-antiproton pair. The calculation takes fully into account the initial state interaction and antiproton absorption in the final state. The cooperation of several nucleons in the initial state reduces the threshold for the reaction allowing for production rates that may account for 15–50% of the total ¯p production. We point out that this contribution should be added to the primary ¯p production mechanism due toΔ formation and rescattering, as found by other groups, and should be taken into account when trying to extract information about ¯p properties in the nuclear medium.     

On large transverse momentum production in high-energy proton-nucleus collisions

Experimental data from inclusive production of large p_T hadronsin high-energy proton-nucleus collisions are analysed with emphasis on the influence of the size of the target nucleus. It is found that data at p_T?3 GeV/c are consistent with the hypothesis that the incoming proton collides “simultaneously” with all the nucleons in its way, resulting in an effective collision energy larger than the one expected in a single proton-nucleon hit. At p_T > 3 GeV/c, data are in conflict with such a simple model, a result we think is a consequence of the dominance of hard parton collisions at very large p_T.     

Subthreshold ϕ-meson production and medium effects in proton-nucleus reactions

Within the spectral function approach, we study the direct production and decay via the dikaon (dimuon) channel of ϕ mesons in the interactions of 2.4-and 2.7-GeV protons with light and medium target nuclei. It is shown that the K ⁺ K ⁻ (μ⁺ μ⁻) invariant-mass distribution consists of the two components, which correspond to the ϕ decay “outside” and “inside” the target nucleus. The first (narrow) component has the free ϕ width, while the second (broad) component is distorted by the nuclear matter owing to resonance-nucleon scattering and a possible in-medium modification of the kaons and ρ meson at finite baryon density. The relative strength of the “inside” and “outside” components is analyzed in different scenarios for the ϕ width and momentum cut. It is demonstrated that the width of the resulting dimuon invariant-mass distribution on medium nuclei is larger than the free ϕ width by a factor of about 2 if the total ϕ in-medium width is used and the respective cutoff for the ϕ three-momentum is applied, whereas the resulting dikaon invariant-mass distribution has an insignificant sensitivity to the ϕ in-medium properties owing to the strong absorption of the K ⁻ in the surrounding nuclear matter. On the other hand, because of the distortion of the K ⁺ and K ⁻ on their way out of the target nucleus mainly due to the hadronic kaon potentials, the latter distribution is broadened and shifted to higher invariant masses, which means that the measurement of such broadening would give additional evidence for the modification of the kaon and antikaon properties in the nuclear medium. The text was submitted by the author in English.