The production of protons, anti-protons, neutrons, deuterons and tritons in minimum bias p+C interactions is studied using a sample of 385 734 inelastic events obtained with the NA49 detector at the CERN SPS at 158 GeV/c beam momentum. The data cover
a phase space area ranging from 0 to 1.9 GeV/c in transverse momentum and in Feynman x from -0.80 to 0.95 for protons, from -0.2 to 0.4 for anti-protons and from 0.2 to 0.95 for neutrons. Existing data in the far backward hemisphere are used to extend the coverage for protons and light nuclear fragments into the region of intranuclear cascading. The use of corresponding data sets obtained in hadron-proton collisions with the same detector allows for the detailed analysis and model-independent separation of the three principle components of hadronization in p+C interactions, namely projectile fragmentation, target fragmentation of participant nucleons and intranuclear cascading.
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.
New measurements by the NA49 experiment of the centrality dependence of event-by-event fluctuations of the particle yield ratios (K$^{+}$+K$^{-}$)/($pi^{+}+pi^{-}$), (p+$bar{text p}$)/($pi^{+}+pi^{-}$), and (K$^{+}$+K$^{-}$)/(p+$bar{text p}$) are pre
sented for Pb+Pb collisions at 158$A$ GeV. The absolute values of the dynamical fluctuations of these ratios, quantified by the measure $sigma_{text{dyn}}$, increase by about a factor of two from central to semi-peripheral collisions. Multiplicity scaling scenarios are tested and found to apply for both the centrality and the previously published energy dependence of the (K$^{+}$+K$^{-}$)/($pi^{+}+pi^{-}$) and (p+$bar{text p}$)/($pi^{+}+pi^{-}$) ratio fluctuations. A description of the centrality and energy dependence of (K$^{+}$+K$^{-}$)/(p+$bar{text p}$) ratio fluctuations by a common scaling prescription is not possible since there is a sign change in the energy dependence.
Two-particle azimuthal correlations of high-pT hadrons can serve as a probe of interactions of partons with the dense medium produced in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. First NA49 results on such correlations are presented for central and mid-centr
al Pb+Pb collisions at 158A GeV beam energy, for different centrality bins and charge combinations of trigger and associate particles. These results feature a flattened away-side peak in the most central collisions, which is consistent with expectations of the medium-interaction scenario. A comparison with CERES Pb+Au results at the same energy, as well as with PHENIX Au+Au results at the top RHIC energy, is provided.
Production of the $K^{ast}(892)^0$ and $bar{K}^{ast}(892)^0$ resonances was studied via their $K^+ pi^-$ and $K^- pi^+$ decay modes in central Pb+Pb, Si+Si, C+C and inelastic p+p collisions at 158agev ($sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 17.3 GeV) with the NA49 detecto
r at the CERN SPS. Transverse momentum and rapidity distributions were measured and total yields were estimated. The yield of $K^{ast}$ exceeds that of $bar{K}^{ast}$ by about a factor of two in nucleus-nucleus reactions. The total yield ratios $< K^{ast} >/< K^+ >$ and $< bar{K}^{ast} >/< K^->$ are strongly suppressed in central Pb+Pb compared to p+p, C+C and Si+Si collisions in agreement with the expected attenuation of these short-lived resonance states in the hadronic phase of the expanding fireball. The UrQMD model, although incorporating such a scenario, does not provide a quantitative description of the experimental results. The statistical hadron gas model assuming the same freeze-out parameters for stable hadrons and resonances overestimates the $< K^{ast} >/< K >$ ratios in central Pb+Pb collisions by about a factor of 2.5.
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$(stat.)^{+0.44}_{-0.16}(syst.) fm.
New data on the production of charged kaons in p+p interactions are presented. The data come from a sample of 4.8 million inelastic events obtained with the NA49 detector at the CERN SPS at 158 GeV/c beam momentum. The kaons are identified by energy
loss in a large TPC tracking system. Inclusive invariant cross sections are obtained in intervals from 0 to 1.7 GeV/c in transverse momentum and from 0 to 0.5 in Feynman x. Using these data as a reference, a new evaluation of the energy dependence of kaon production, including neutral kaons, is conducted over a range from 3 GeV to p+anti-p collider energies.
New data on the production of protons, anti-protons and neutrons in p+p interactions are presented. The data come from a sample of 4.8 million inelastic events obtained with the NA49 detector at the CERN SPS at 158 GeV/c beam momentum. The charged ba
ryons are identified by energy loss measurement in a large TPC tracking system. Neutrons are detected in a forward hadronic calorimeter. Inclusive invariant cross sections are obtained in intervals from 0 to 1.9 GeV/c (0 to 1.5 GeV/c) in transverse momentum and from -0.05 to 0.95 (-0.05 to 0.4) in Feynman x for protons (anti-protons), respectively. pT integrated neutron cross sections are given in the interval from 0.1 to 0.9 in Feynman x. The data are compared to a wide sample of existing results in the SPS and ISR energy ranges as well as to proton and neutron measurements from HERA and RHIC.
The NA49 experiment has collected comprehensive data on particle production in nucleus-nucleus collisions over the whole SPS beam energies range, the critical energy domain where the expected phase transition to a deconfined phase is expected to occu
r. The latest results from Pb+Pb collisions between 20$A$ GeV and 158$A$ GeV on baryon stopping and light nuclei production as well as those for strange hyperons are presented. The measured data on $p$, $bar{p}$, $Lambda$, $bar{Lambda}$, $Xi^-$ and $bar{Xi}^+$ production were used to evaluate the rapidity distributions of net-baryons at SPS energies and to compare with the results from the AGS and the RHIC for central Pb+Pb (Au+Au) collisions. The dependence of the yield ratios and the inverse slope parameter of the $m_t$ spectra on the collision energy and centrality, and the mass number of the produced nuclei $^3He$, $t$, $d$ and $bar{d}$ are discussed within coalescence and statistical approaches. Analysis of the total multiplicity exhibits remarkable agreement between the measured yield for $^3He$ and those predicted by the statistical hadronization model. In addition, new results on $Lambda$ and $bar{Lambda}$ as well as $Xi^-$ production in minimum bias Pb+Pb reactions at 40$A$ GeV and 158$A$ GeV and central C+C, Si+Si and Pb+Pb collisions are presented. The system size dependence of the yields of these hyperons was analysed to determine the evolution of strangeness enhancement relative to elementary p+p collisions.
Results from electric charge correlations studied with the Balance Function method in A+A collisions from 20emph{A} to 158emph{A} GeV are presented in two different rapidity intervals: In the mid-rapidity region we observe a decrease of the width of
the Balance Function distribution with increasing centrality of the collision, whereas this effect vanishes in the forward rapidity region. Results from the energy dependence study in central Pb+Pb collisions show that the narrowing of the Balance Function expressed by the normalised width parameter textit{W} increases with energy towards the highest SPS and RHIC energies. Finally we compare our experimental data points with predictions of several models. The hadronic string models UrQMD and HIJING do not reproduce the observed narrowing of the Balance Function. However, AMPT which contains a quark-parton transport phase before hadronization can reproduce the narrowing of the BFs width with centrality. This confirms the proposed sensitivity of the Balance Function analysis to the time of hadronization.
