Measurements of charged pion and kaon production are presented in centrality selected Pb+Pb collisions at 40A GeV and 158A GeV beam energy as well as in semi-central C+C and Si+Si interactions at 40A GeV. Transverse mass spectra, rapidity spectra and
total yields are determined as a function of centrality. The system-size and centrality dependence of relative strangeness production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at 40A GeV and 158A GeV beam energy are derived from the data presented here and published data for C+C and Si+Si collisions at 158A GeV beam energy. At both energies a steep increase with centrality is observed for small systems followed by a weak rise or even saturation for higher centralities. This behavior is compared to calculations using transport models (UrQMD and HSD), a percolation model and the core-corona approach.
The momentum correlation between protons and lambda particles emitted from central Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt(s_{NN}) = 17.3 GeV was studied by the NA49 experiment at the CERN SPS. A clear enhancement is observed for small relative momenta (q_{inv} < 0
.2 GeV). By fitting a theoretical model, which uses the strong interaction between the proton and the lambda in a given pair, to the measured data a value for the effective source size is deduced. Assuming a static Gaussian source distribution we derive an effective radius parameter of R_G = 3.02 pm 0.20$(stat.)^{+0.44}_{-0.16}(syst.) fm.
New data on the production of charged kaons in p+p interactions are presented. The data come from a sample of 4.8 million inelastic events obtained with the NA49 detector at the CERN SPS at 158 GeV/c beam momentum. The kaons are identified by energy
loss in a large TPC tracking system. Inclusive invariant cross sections are obtained in intervals from 0 to 1.7 GeV/c in transverse momentum and from 0 to 0.5 in Feynman x. Using these data as a reference, a new evaluation of the energy dependence of kaon production, including neutral kaons, is conducted over a range from 3 GeV to p+anti-p collider energies.
New data on the production of protons, anti-protons and neutrons in p+p interactions are presented. The data come from a sample of 4.8 million inelastic events obtained with the NA49 detector at the CERN SPS at 158 GeV/c beam momentum. The charged ba
ryons are identified by energy loss measurement in a large TPC tracking system. Neutrons are detected in a forward hadronic calorimeter. Inclusive invariant cross sections are obtained in intervals from 0 to 1.9 GeV/c (0 to 1.5 GeV/c) in transverse momentum and from -0.05 to 0.95 (-0.05 to 0.4) in Feynman x for protons (anti-protons), respectively. pT integrated neutron cross sections are given in the interval from 0.1 to 0.9 in Feynman x. The data are compared to a wide sample of existing results in the SPS and ISR energy ranges as well as to proton and neutron measurements from HERA and RHIC.
