Neutral transverse momentum spectra in 60 and 200A·GeV16O+nucleus and proton+nucleus reactions

Transverse momentum (p _T) distributions fo inclusive photons and neutral pions at midrapidity are measured with a lead glass calorimeter in 60 and are measured with a lead glass calorimeter in 60 and 200A·Gev¹⁶O+nucleus and and proton+nucleus reactions. Inclusive photon distributions are compared for central and peripheral reactions. The degree of centrality is determined either from the charged particle multiplicity or from the remaining projectile energy in the forward direction. Deviations from a nucleus+nucleus interaction model based upon linear extrapolation from p+p reactions are observed in central¹⁶O+Au data. The variation of theaverage transverse momentum is investigated as function of centrality. The target-mass and energy dependence of π⁰ p _T distributions are presented. For¹⁶O+Au a change of slope in these distributions is observed atp _t ≈0.8 GeV/c compatible with hydrodynamic expansion models.