Charged particle spectra in central S+S collisions at 200 GeV/<i>c</i>per nucleon

Abstract

The transverse momentum and rapidity distributions of negative hadrons and participant protons have been measured for central $^{32}\mathrm{S}$+ $^{32}\mathrm{S}$ collisions at ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathrm{lab}}$=200 GeV/c per nucleon. The proton mean rapidity shift 〈\ensuremath{\Delta}y〉\ensuremath{\sim}1.6 and mean transverse momentum 〈${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{T}}$〉\ensuremath{\sim}0.6 GeV/c are much higher than in pp or peripheral AA collisions and indicate an increase in the nuclear stopping power. All ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{T}}$ spectra exhibit similar source temperatures. Including previous results for ${\mathit{K}}_{\mathit{s}}^{0}$ \ensuremath{\Lambda}, and \ensuremath{\Lambda}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}, we account for all important contributions to particle production.