Analysis of Inclusive Distributions Using a Statistical Approach

Abstract

A statistical approach to production amplitudes is used to investigate the consequences for inclusive spectra due to (1) conservation laws, (2) small transverse momenta, (3) small average inelasticity, and (4) an asymptotically constant inelastic cross section. An analytic approximation of phase-space integrals is employed. Features of one- and two-particle inclusive spectra are discussed in terms of their exclusive components; both analytic and numerical results are presented. As a specific example of the approach, the rapidity distributions for $\mathrm{pp}\to {\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}X$ are compared with data at 21 GeV/c. The above assumptions cannot account for some features of the ${\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}$ spectra, indicating the necessity for additional dynamic input.