On the probability of repeated interactions of leading particles in the interior of a nucleus at energies above 10 TeV

An analysis of experimental information that comes from cosmic-ray studies and from accelerator experiments leads to the conclusion that the production of new particles is not an instantaneous event, but that it spans a spacetime interval exceeding substantially nucleon-nucleon distances. This means that the production process extended in space and time cannot be reduced to a simple superposition of nucleon-nucleon collisions.