Psi' and J/Psi Suppression in High-Energy Nucleon-Nucleus and Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions

Abstract

The observed features of $\psi'$ to $J/\psi$ suppression in $pA$ and nucleus-nucleus collisions can be explained in terms of a two-component absorption model. For the hard component of the absorption due to the interaction of the produced $c\bar c$ systems with baryons at high relative energies, the absorption cross sections are insensitive to the radii of the $c\bar c$ systems, as described by the Additive Quark Model. For the soft component due to the low energy $c \bar c$ interactions with soft particles produced by other baryon-baryon collisions, the absorption cross sections are greater for $\psi'$ than for $J/\psi$, because the breakup threshold for $\psi'$ is much smaller than for $\psi$.