Probing of compact baryonic configurations in nuclei in $A(p,{\bar p})X$ reactions and antiproton formation length in nuclear matter

Abstract

Inclusive cross sections $\sigma^A=Ed^3{\sigma(X,P_t^2)/d^3p}$ of antiproton and negative pion production on Be, Al, Cu and Ta targets hit by 10 GeV protons were measured at the laboratory angles of 10.5$^{\circ}$ and 59$^{\circ}$. Antiproton cross sections were obtained in both kinematically allowed and kinematically forbidden regions for antiproton production on a free nucleon. The antiproton cross section ratio as a function of the longitudinal variable $X$ exhibits three separate plateaus which gives evidence for the existence of compact baryon configurations in nuclei-small-distance scaled objects of nuclear structure. Comparability of the measured cross section ratios with those obtained in the inclusive electron scattering off nuclei suggests a weak antiproton absorption in nuclei. Observed behavior of the cross section ratios is interpreted in the framework of a model considering the hadron production as a fragmentation of quarks (antiquarks) into hadrons. It has been established that the antiproton formation length in nuclear matter can reach the magnitude of 4.5 fm.