Production of π⁰ mesons and charged hadrons in$\bar v$ neon and ν neon charged current interactions

Abstract

The average multiplicities of charged hadrons and of π⁺, π⁻ and π⁰ mesons, produced in$\bar v$Ne and νNe charged current interactions in the forward and backward hemispheres of theW ^±-nucleon center of mass system, are studied with data from BEBC. The dependence of the multiplicities on the hadronic mass (W) and on the laboratory rapidity (y _Lab) and the energy fraction (z) of the pion is also investigated. Special care is taken to determine the π⁰ multiplicity accurately. The ratio of average π multiplicities$\frac{{2\left\langle {n_{\pi ^O } } \right\rangle }}{{[\left\langle {n_{\pi ^ + } } \right\rangle + \left\langle {n_{\pi ^ - } } \right\rangle ]}}$ is consistent with 1. In the backward hemisphere$\left\langle {n_{\pi ^O } } \right\rangle$ is positively correlated with the charged multiplicity. This correlation, as well as differences in multiplicities between$\mathop v\limits^{( - )}$ and$\mathop v\limits^{( - )}$,$\mathop v\limits^{( - )}$ scattering, is attributed to reinteractions inside the neon nucleus of the hadrons produced in the initial$\mathop v\limits^{( - )}$ interaction.