Hierarchy of mean multiplicities in pn and π+n interactions at 195 GeV/c

Abstract The dependence of the average charged multiplicity, 〈 n X 〉, of the system X on | t | and M 2 X is studied for the reactions p( π + )n→p fast (p + fast ) + X and p( π + )n→p slow + X at 195 GeV/ c . For a fixed M 2 X , 〈 n X 〉 changes significantly among these reactions, yielding a systematic hierarchy of mean multiplicities. The results indicate that a proton emits on the average less charged particles than a pion and more than a neutron.