The European Physical Journal C

ISSN: 1434-6044 (printed version)
ISSN: 1434-6052 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 5 Issue 1 (1998) pp 135-141
DOI 10.1007/s100529800825

theoretical physics:
Strangeness production in nuclear interactions at 200 A GeV and the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions

Roman Lietava (1)(2), Ján Pisút (1)(3)

(1) Department of Physics, Comenius University, SK-842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
(2) GRPHE, Universite de Haute Alsace, Mulhouse, France
(3) Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, Univ. Blaise Pascal, F-63177 Aubiere, France

Received: 15 September 1997 / Revised version: 9 December 1997 / Published online: 26 February 1998

Abstract. Data on mean numbers of $\Lambda$, $\bar\Lambda$, K's and on the total number $$ of pairs of strange valence quarks in final state hadrons in hadronic and nuclear collisions at CERN-SPS energies are studied as a function of the mean number $$ of nucleon-nucleon collisions. Results give indications of an almost linear dependence over most of the region of $$. This in turn points out to strangeness being produced mostly in the central rapidity region of nucleon-nucleon collisions by a mechanism similar to a hard or semi-hard process. The available data are extrapolated to Pb+Pb interactions by two simple models, leading to $_{Pb+Pb}\approx 300\pm 30$. Observations exceeding these values of $_{Pb+Pb}$ would give evidence of the onset of a new dynamical regime in Pb+Pb interactions.

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Online publication: August 4, 1998
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