Multiparticle Production and Initial Quasitemperature from Proton-Induced Carbon Collisions at pLab=31 GeV/c

Abstract

The momentum spectra of charged pions (π+ and π−) and kaons (K+ and K−), as well as protons (p), produced in the beam proton-induced collisions in a 90 cm long graphite target (proton-carbon (p-C) collisions) at the beam momentum pLab=31 GeV/c are studied in the framework of a multisource thermal model by using Boltzmann distribution and the Monte Carlo method. The theoretical model results are approximately in agreement with the experimental data measured by the NA61/SHINE Collaboration. The related free parameters (effective temperature, rapidity shifts, and fraction of nonleading protons) and derived quantities (average transverse momentum and initial quasitemperature) under given experimental conditions are obtained. The considered free parameters and derived quantities are shown to be strongly dependent on the emission angle over a range from 0 to 380 mrad and weakly dependent on longitudinal position (graphite target thickness) over a range from 0 to 90 cm.