Proton-nucleus inclusive reactions and momentum degradation of quarks

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.31.499· OSTI ID:5920581

Hwa, R C; Zahir, M S

The inclusive hadronic reactions p+A..-->..h+X, where h = p and ..pi.., are studied in detail at the constituent level. The effect of the nucleus on the projectile quarks is treated in a way that depends on one parameter, which is related to the degradation length of quark momentum in nuclear matter. The quark momentum distribution in the initial proton is treated in the valon model for low-p/sub T/ hadronic reactions. Hadronization of the quarks after the collision is treated in the recombination model. The advantage of using nuclear targets over proton targets is discussed. Two unknown parameters in the phenomenological theory are determined by fitting the x and A dependences of the inclusive distributions of p+A..-->..p+X. The theory is then applied to the p+A..--> pi..+X reaction without any free parameters. When the resonance contribution to the pion spectrum is carefully taken into account, the predicted inclusive distributions of the pions are in excellent agreement with the data in both the x and A dependences. The momentum-degradation length of the quarks turns out to be 160 fm. The implications of this work are that (1) there exists a unified approach to hadron-nucleus reactions formulated in the quark basis, and (2) quarks are not slowed down significantly in the fragmentation regions of relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

• Research Organization: Institute of Theoretical Science and Department of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
• OSTI ID: 5920581
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 31:3; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645207* -- High Energy Physics-- Particle Interactions & Properties-Theoretical-- Strong Interactions
Baryon No. Greater than 1-- (-1987)
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BARYON REACTIONS
BOSONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FIELD THEORIES
FORM FACTORS
FRAGMENTATION
FUNCTIONS
HADRON REACTIONS
HADRONS
INCLUSIVE INTERACTIONS
INTERACTIONS
MATTER
MESONS
NUCLEAR MATTER
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PIONS
POSTULATED PARTICLES
PROTON REACTIONS
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUARKS
STRUCTURE FUNCTIONS