Comparative Analysis of Pion, Kaon and Proton Spectra Produced at PHENIX

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the transverse momentum spectra of pions, kaons, and protons in pp collisions, revealing different production mechanisms and explaining yield ratios through combined exponential and power-law fits.

Contribution

It introduces a dual-mechanism model for hadron production, fitting spectra with exponential and power-law components to explain observed yield ratios.

Findings

Significant differences in exponential term contributions across particle types.

The dual-mechanism model qualitatively explains K/pi and p/pi yield ratios.

Spectral fits suggest two distinct hadron production mechanisms.

Abstract

The shapes of invariant differential cross section for identified pi,K, p and pbar production as function of transverse momentum measured in pp collisions by the PHENIX detector are analyzed. Simultaneous fit of these data to the sum of exponential and power-law terms show significant difference in the exponential term contributions. This effect qualitatively explains the observed shape of the experimental K/pi and p/pi yield ratios measured as function of transverse momentum of produced hadrons. A picture with two types of mechanisms for hadron production is given.