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Title: Baryon, charged hadron, Drell-Yan and J/{psi} production in high energy proton-nucleus collisions

Abstract

We show that the distributions of outgoing protons and charged hadrons in high energy proton-nucleus collisions are described rather well by a linear extrapolation from proton-proton collisions. The only adjustable parameter required is the shift in rapidity of a produced charged meson when it encounters a target nucleon. Its fitted value is 0.16. Next, we apply this linear extrapolation to precisely measured Drell-Yan cross sections for 800 GeV protons incident on a variety of nuclear targets which exhibit a deviation from linear scaling in the atomic number {ital A}. We show that this deviation can be accounted for by energy degradation of the proton as it passes through the nucleus if account is taken of the time delay of particle production due to quantum coherence. We infer an average proper coherence time of 0.4{plus_minus}0.1&hthinsp;fm/c, corresponding to a coherence path length of 8{plus_minus}2&hthinsp;fm in the rest frame of the nucleus. Finally, we apply the linear extrapolation to measured J/{psi} production cross sections for 200 and 450 GeV/c protons incident on a variety of nuclear targets. Our analysis takes into account energy loss of the beam proton, the time delay of particle production due to quantum coherence, and absorption of the J/{psi}more » on nucleons. The best representation is obtained for a coherence time of 0.5 fm/c, which is consistent with Drell-Yan production, and an absorption cross section of 3.6 mb, which is consistent with the value deduced from photoproduction of the J/{psi} on nuclear targets. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Physics Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8 (Canada)
  2. Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
  3. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
696604
Report Number(s):
CONF-9810133-
Journal ID: APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 9922M0102
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098; FG02-87ER40328; FG03-93ER40792
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 482; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: RHIC physics and beyond: kay kay gee day, Upton, NY (United States), 23 Oct 1998; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
66 PHYSICS; PROTON-PROTON INTERACTIONS; NUCLEAR MATTER; PROTON REACTIONS; SULFUR 32 TARGET; GOLD 197 TARGET; PARTICLE PRODUCTION; HADRONS; PARTICLE RAPIDITY; DRELL MODEL

Citation Formats

Gale, C, Jeon, S, and Kapusta, J. Baryon, charged hadron, Drell-Yan and J/{psi} production in high energy proton-nucleus collisions. United States: N. p., 1999. Web. doi:10.1063/1.59575.
Gale, C, Jeon, S, & Kapusta, J. Baryon, charged hadron, Drell-Yan and J/{psi} production in high energy proton-nucleus collisions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.59575
Gale, C, Jeon, S, and Kapusta, J. 1999. "Baryon, charged hadron, Drell-Yan and J/{psi} production in high energy proton-nucleus collisions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.59575.
@article{osti_696604,
title = {Baryon, charged hadron, Drell-Yan and J/{psi} production in high energy proton-nucleus collisions},
author = {Gale, C and Jeon, S and Kapusta, J},
abstractNote = {We show that the distributions of outgoing protons and charged hadrons in high energy proton-nucleus collisions are described rather well by a linear extrapolation from proton-proton collisions. The only adjustable parameter required is the shift in rapidity of a produced charged meson when it encounters a target nucleon. Its fitted value is 0.16. Next, we apply this linear extrapolation to precisely measured Drell-Yan cross sections for 800 GeV protons incident on a variety of nuclear targets which exhibit a deviation from linear scaling in the atomic number {ital A}. We show that this deviation can be accounted for by energy degradation of the proton as it passes through the nucleus if account is taken of the time delay of particle production due to quantum coherence. We infer an average proper coherence time of 0.4{plus_minus}0.1&hthinsp;fm/c, corresponding to a coherence path length of 8{plus_minus}2&hthinsp;fm in the rest frame of the nucleus. Finally, we apply the linear extrapolation to measured J/{psi} production cross sections for 200 and 450 GeV/c protons incident on a variety of nuclear targets. Our analysis takes into account energy loss of the beam proton, the time delay of particle production due to quantum coherence, and absorption of the J/{psi} on nucleons. The best representation is obtained for a coherence time of 0.5 fm/c, which is consistent with Drell-Yan production, and an absorption cross section of 3.6 mb, which is consistent with the value deduced from photoproduction of the J/{psi} on nuclear targets. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}},
doi = {10.1063/1.59575},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/696604}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
number = 1,
volume = 482,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999},
month = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999}
}