Observation of prompt single muon production by 400 GeV protons

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5977920

Merritt, K W.B.

The observation of prompt single muon production from 400 GeV protons interacting in an iron target is reported. The experiment used a variable-density calorimeter made of iron plates and plastic scintillator as a target, followed by a large-acceptance muon identifier and an iron toroidal spectrometer. Single muon and dimuon events were separated with good efficiency using the muon identifier, and the rate of prompt single muons was measured by varying the density of the target-calorimeter, thereby changing the relative rate of prompt and non-prompt single muon production. Prompt single muon signals were observed in two different kinematic regions-p/sub ..mu../ < 20 GeV/c, p/sub 1 ..mu../ > 1 GeV/c and 10 GeV/c < p/sub ..mu../ < 60 GeV/c, p/sub 1 ..mu../ > 0.5 GeV/c. Approximate equality was found between the prompt l..mu../sup -/ and prompt l..mu../sup -/ signal in the high p region (in the high p/sub 1/ region, only positive muons were accepted by the trigger). The observed cross section in both regions was approx. 70 nb/nucleon, assuming linear A dependence for the production of the prompt muons. Hadronic production of charmed particles was the most likely source of the prompt muons; other possible sources could not account for the large rates observed. Three different models for charm production-uncorrelated D production, correlated DD production, and diffractive production of ..lambda../sub c//sup -/ D pairs-are compared to the data and used to calculate cross sections. Within the DD model, the range of kinematic parameters allowed by the data is determined and the corresponding range of cross sections is 20 to 70 ..mu..b/nucleon. The results of this experiment are compared with other experimental results and with theoretical predictions of charm production.

• Research Organization: California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5977920
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645102* -- High Energy Physics-- Particle Interactions &amp; Properties-Experimental-- Weak Interactions &amp; Properties
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BARYON REACTIONS
BOSONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
CHARM PARTICLES
CHARMED MESON RESONANCES
CROSS SECTIONS
D RESONANCES
DATA
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIONS
GEV RANGE
GEV RANGE 100-1000
HADRON REACTIONS
HADRONS
INFORMATION
IRON
LEPTONS
MESON RESONANCES
MESONS
METALS
MUONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
POSTULATED PARTICLES
PROTON REACTIONS
RESONANCE PARTICLES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS