P. Freund

Energy dependence of pion and kaon production in central Pb¿Pb collisions

Measurements of charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40, 80 and 158 AGeV are presented. These are compared with data at lower and higher energies as well as with results from p+p interactions. The mean pion multiplicity per wounded nucleon increases approximately linearly with s_NN^1/4 with a change of slope starting in the region 15-40 AGeV. The change from pion suppression with respect to p+p interactions, as observed at low collision energies, to pion enhancement at high energies occurs at about 40 AGeV. A non-monotonic energy dependence of the ratio of K^+ to pi^+ yields is observed, with a maximum close to 40 AGeV and an indication of a nearly constant value at higher energies.The measured dependences may be related to an increase of the entropy production and a decrease of the strangeness to entropy ratio in central Pb+Pb collisions in the low SPS energy range, which is consistent with the hypothesis that a transient state of deconfined matter is created above these energies. Other interpretations of the data are also discussed.

Evidence for an Exotic S = -2, Q = -2 Baryon Resonance in Proton-Proton Collisions at the CERN SPS

Results of resonance searches in the Xi- pi-, Xi- pi+, antiXi+ pi- and antiXi+ pi+ invariant mass spectra in proton-proton collisions at sqrt{s}=17.2 GeV are presented. Evidence is shown for the existence of a narrow Xi- pi- baryon resonance with mass of 1.862+/-0.002 GeV/c^2 and width below the detector resolution of about 0.018 GeV/c^2. The significance is estimated to be 4.0 sigma. This state is a candidate for the hypothetical exotic Xi_(3/2)^-- baryon with S = -2, I = 3/2 and a quark content of (d s d s ubar). At the same mass a peak is observed in the Xi- pi+ spectrum which is a candidate for the Xi_(3/2)^0 member of this isospin quartet with a quark content of (d s u s dbar). The corresponding antibaryon spectra also show enhancements at the same invariant mass.

Multiplicity and transverse energy flux in 16O+Pb at 200 GeV per nucleon

Abstract First results from ultrarelativistic 16 O+Pb collisions at 200 GeV/nucleon are presented. The transverse energy E T in average central collisions is ≈ 75 GeV for the interval 2.2⩽ y ⩽3.8. A 16-fold convolution of the inelastic p+Au transverse energy spectrum, also measured at 200 GeV, reproduces the mean E T of 16 O+Pb. The amount of nuclear stopping power appears to be high.

Probing the space-time geometry of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract We report results from a pion interferometry analysis of 200 GeV/nucleon 16 O+Au collisions. Both a gaussian source model and a model based on the inside-outside cascade are used to fit the experimental correlation function, giving transverse and longitudinal shape parameters, a freeze-out time parameter, and a chaoticity parameter for the pion emitting source. We find a transverse source size consistent with the projectile radius except at the CM rapidity, where significantly larger transverse and longitudinal sizes and a longer freeze-out time are measured suggesting a thermalized source. Calculation of correlation lengths, and comparisons with a simple freeze-out model and other pion interferometry experiments are presented.

A study of deep inelastic hadron-hadron collisions with a large acceptance calorimeter trigger

Abstract Large transverse energy cross sections of 300 GeV/ c pions and protons on hydrogen have been measured with a segmented calorimeter covering the central rapidity region −0.88 y π in azimuth. The selected events show large multiplicities and no jet-like event structure. Processes more complicated than the scattering of two constituents appear to dominate these inelastic collisions.

Recent results from the NA35 collaboration at CERN

Abstract Recent results from the NA35 Collaboration are presented for the reactions of 60 and 200 GeV/nucleon p and 16 O, and 200 GeV/nucleon 32 S with various targets ranging from S to Au. Midrapidity transverse energy distributions and forward energy flow, p⊥ spectra and rapidity distributions of hadrons are presented. Two-pion interferometry results are discussed. Neutral strange particle yields and p⊥ distributions are presented. Conclusions are drawn from the experimental results.

Initial tests of a high resolution Scintillating Fibre (SCIFI) tracker

Abstract We present our initial measurements of high resolution particle tracking in scintillating fibre (SCIFI) detectors. The scintillator under study is a glass, designated GS1, which is doped with the cerium (Ce 3+ ) emitter. We conclude from our measurements that present SCIFI detectors can be successfully used as small-volume “active” targets, but that further developments are necessary before this technique can be applied to high precision tracking in collider detectors.

Negative particle production in nuclear collisions at 60 and 200 GeV/nucleon

The results on spectra of negative particles produced in16O+Au andp-Au collisions at 200 GeV/nucleon and16O+Au at 60 GeV/nucleon are presented. The correlations of average rapidity and average transverse momentum with event multiplicity are studied. Spectral shapes are similar for central16O+Au andp-Au collisions. The transverse momentum and rapidity distributions for central16O+Au andp-Au collisions differ strongly from corresponding distributions forp+p interactions. The FRITIOF model fails to describe the shapes of the transverse momentum distributions. The simple thermodynamical model of a single fireball does not fit the midrapidity transverse momentum distributions, and the rapidity distributions.

Multiplicity distributions in rapidity intervals forp-p andp-nucleus interactions at 200 GeV

Multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced in proton-proton, proton-argon and proton-xenon inelastic collisions at 200 GeV/c in various rapidity intervals are presented. Nuclear target data are analysed separately for the forward and the backward hemispheres. Results of a similar analysis for only negative particles are shown. The data are well parametrized in terms of negative binomial distributions. However, such a parametrization fails in describing thep-nucleus multiplicity distributions of charged particles for large rapidity intervals comprising both hemispheres. Parameters characteristic for the clan model of Giovannini and Van Hove are also presented.

Ξ− and Ξ+ production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon

Results of the production of Xi and Xi-bar hyperons in central Pb+Pb interactions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon are presented. This analysis utilises a global reconstruction procedure, which allows a measurement of 4pi integrated yields to be made for the first time. Inverse slope paramters, which are determined from an exponential fit to the transverse mass spectra, are shown. Central rapidity densities are found to be 1.49 +- 0.08 and 0.33 +- 0.04 per event per unit of rapidity for Xi and Xi-bar respectively. Yields integrated to full phase space are 4.12 +- 0.02 and 0.77 +- 0.04 for Xi and Xi-bar. The ratio of Xi-bar/Xi at mid-rapidity is 0.22 +- 0.03.