Interactions of 13.6-GeV/nucleon 16O and 28Si with carbon, aluminum, and copper

Cross sections for forming 24Na and 18F by the interactions of 13.6-GeV/nucleon 16O and 28Si ions with Al and for forming 24Na in 16O interactions with Cu have been measured relative to the cross section for forming 11C from carbon. The results are generally consistent with energy-independent inclusive cross sections (limiting fragmentation) for heavy ions between ∼2 and 13.6 GeV/nucleon. However, comparison of the heavy-ion data with those for high-energy protons indicates a significantly weaker dependence on projectile size than that predicted by the factorization hypothesis for σC(11C), σAl(18F), and σAl(24Na). The dependence is slightly stronger in the case of σCu(24Na)