Rapidity distributions of π- in (d, α, C)Ta collisions at 4.2 GeV/c per nucleon

The rapidity distributions of π- mesons in different transverse-momentum intervals are analyzed for dTa, αTa, and CTa collisions at 4.2 GeV/c per projectile nucleon. The effect of the target atomic weight on the rapidity and transverse-momentum distributions of π- mesons is probed by comparing data on CC and CTa collisions. Data on CTA collisions are confronted with predictions of the quark-gluon string model. The model qualitatively reproduces the observed distributions of π- mesons and provides a satisfactory quantitative description of the ratio of π- yields in CTa and CC collisions as a function of the transverse momentum pt for pt < 0.5 GeV/c. 15 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs