Elastic interaction of elementary particles with emulsion nuclei at energies of 1 x 10/sup 10/--2. 5 x 10/sup 13//eV nucleon

We compare data from our Institute on the angular distributions and anisotropy coefficients sigma/sup theta//sub A/ in particle showers from interactions of 60 GeV ..pi../sup -/ mesons and 67 and 200 GeV protons in nuclear emulsion, and also in particle jets with high multiplicity produced by cosmic-ray nucleons and nuclei with 2< or =Z< or =8 which are fragmented completely into nucleons upon collision. The experimental data indicate that in the energy range 1 x 10/sup 10/--2.5 x 10/sup 13/ eV/nucleon there is a single dominant mechanism of multiple particle production for all types of inelastic interactions (interactions of different types of elementary particles, interactions of elementary particles and nuclei with nuclei). The energy released in the collision volume plays the main role in this mechanism.