Testing the Meson Cloud Model in Inclusive Meson Production

TL;DR

This paper applies the Meson Cloud Model to high-energy collisions to describe meson production spectra and constrain model parameters, revealing the need for additional sources to fully explain observed antiquark asymmetries.

Contribution

It introduces the first use of experimental data to constrain meson cloud model parameters in inclusive meson production and extends the model to proton-nucleus collisions.

Findings

Reasonable description of large $x_F$ spectra achieved

Cloud cut-off parameters are soft and similar within 200 MeV

Additional sources needed for complete antiquark asymmetry explanation

Abstract

We have applied the Meson Cloud Model to calculate inclusive momentum spectra of pions and kaons produced in high energy proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions. For the first time these data are used to constrain the cloud cut-off parameters. We show that it is possible to obtain a reasonable description of data, especially the large $x_F$ ($x_F \geq 0.2$) part of the spectrum and at the same time describe (partially) the E866 data on $\bar d - \bar u$ and $\bar d / \bar u$. We also discuss the relative strength of the $\pi N$ and $\pi \Delta$ vertices. We find out that the corresponding cut-off parameters should be both soft and should not differ by more than 200 MeV from each other. An additional source (other than the meson cloud) of sea antiquark asymmetry, seems to be necessary to completely explain the data. A first extension of the MCM to proton nucleus collisions is discussed.