Inclusive K+ meson production in proton-nucleus interactions
Abstract
The production of K+ mesons in pA (A = D, C, Cu, Ag, Au) collisions has been investigated at the COoler SYnchrotron COSY-J\"ulich for beam energies Tp = 1.0 - 2.3 GeV. Double differential inclusive pC cross sections at forward angles theta < 12 degrees as well as the target-mass dependence of the K+ momentum spectra have been measured with the ANKE spectrometer. Far below the free NN threshold at TNN=1.58 GeV the spectra reveal a high degree of collectivity in the target nucleus. From the target-mass dependence of the cross sections at higher energies, the repulsive in-medium potential of K+ mesons can be deduced. Using pN cross-section parameterisations from literature and our measured pD data we derive a cross-section ratio of sigma(pn -> K+ X) / sigma(pp -> K+ X) ~ (3-4).
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