Multiplicities of secondary pions in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions and the distribution of the number of interacting nucleons of the incident nucleus

Data on multiplicities of negatiVe pions produced in interactions of protons, deuterons, helium 4 and carbon 12 nuclei with carbon and tantalum targets at the 4.5 GeV/c momentum are presented and discussed. The probability distribution of the number of nucleons of the incident nucleus, which interacted in the target, is obtained using data on events with various numbers of interacting protons of the projectile. The conclusion is reached that the presented data do not contradict the assumption about independent interaction in the target of the nucleons of the projectile nucleus