Suppression of high-p(T) neutral pion production in central Pb+Pb collisions at root s(NN)=17.3 GeV relative to p+C and p+Pb collisions

Neutral pion transverse momentum spectra were measured in p+C and p+Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 17.4 GeV at midrapidity (2.3 less than or similar to eta(lab)less than or similar to 3.0) over the range 0.7 less than or similar to p(T)less than or similar to 3.5 GeV/c. The spectra are compared to pi(0) spectra measured in Pb+Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 17.3 GeV in the same experiment. For a wide range of Pb+Pb centralities (N-part less than or similar to 300), the yield of pi(0)'s with p(T)greater than or similar to 2 GeV/c is larger than or consistent with the p+C or p+Pb yields scaled with the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions (N-coll), while for central Pb+Pb collisions with N-part greater than or similar to 350, the pi(0) yield is suppressed.