Two-kaon correlations in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 a GeV/c

Two-particle interferometry of positive kaons is studied in Pb+Pb collisions at mean transverse momenta approximately 0.25 and 0.91 GeV/c. A three-dimensional analysis was applied to the lower p(T) data, while a two-dimensional analysis was used for the higher p(T) data. We find that the source-size parameters are consistent with the m(T) scaling curve observed in pion-correlation measurements in the same collisions, and that the duration time of kaon emission is consistent with zero within the experimental sensitivity.     

Freeze-out conditions in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

We present recent results on single particle transverse momentum distributions of pions, kaons and protons, measured in CERN Experiment NA44, of 200 AGeV/c S+S and 158 AGeV/c Pb+Pb central collisions. By comparing these data with thermal and transport models, freeze-out parameters like the temperatureT _fo and the chemical potentials (μ _q ,μ _s ) are extracted and discussed.     

Antideuteron production in 158A GeV/c Pb + Pb collisions

The invariant cross section as a function of transverse momentum for antideuterons produced in 158A GeV/c per nucleon Pb+Pb central collisions has been measured by the NA44 experiment at CERN. This measurement, together with a measurement of antiprotons, allows for the determination of the antideuteron coalescence parameter. The extracted coalescence radius is found to agree with the deuteron coalescence radius and radii determined from two particle correlations.     

Deuteron and triton production with high energy sulphur and lead beams

Proton and deuteron production has been observed in S+S and S+Pb collisions at 200 AGeV and in Pb+Pb reactions at 158 AGeV at the CERN SPS accelerator. For Pb+Pb triton production was also measured. The p and d spectra as well as the p and t spectra were observed in similar rapidity ranges and over similar ranges of transverse momenta per nucleon, making it possible to interpret the cross sections of the composite particles in terms of coalescence mechanisms. Volumes of homogeneity were extracted and compared to pion-pair HBT interferometry results. Special attention is given to the dependence on transverse mass, centrality and rapidity. Received: 23 July 2001 / Revised version: 16 November 2001 / Published online: 25 January 2002     

Space-time evolution of the hadronic source in peripheral to central Pb+Pb collisions

Two-particle correlations of negative pions as a function of charged particle multiplicity are studied in Pb+Pb collisions at GeV per nucleon using the NA44 experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron(SPS). We find that the source size parameters increase with the charged particle multiplicity. However the slope of the source size parameters plotted as a function of charged multiplicity is slightly larger at high multiplicity than at low multiplicity. The value of is independent of charged multiplicity. For Pb+Pb collisions, is larger than and for all multiplicity intervals, whereas these three radius parameters were approximately equal in S+Nucleus collisions. The ratios () and () for Pb+Pb data show almost no dependence on charged multiplicity. The duration of pion emission is constant at 3.81.1 fm/c as a function of the charged multiplicity in Pb+Pb collisions. Effective volume (V) is also calculated as V=, assuming a cylindrically shaped source. We found, within the limited statistics, the effective volume rapidly increases at high multiplicity. Received: 17 July 2000 / Revised version: 3 November 2000 / Published online: 8 December 2000