Neutral-strange-particle production in p 20Ne and pN interactions at 300 GeV

Data on multiplicity, correlations, and inclusive spectra of KS0 mesons and Λ0 (bar Λ 0) hyperons produced with xF≤0 in inelastic 20Ne and pN interactions at 300 GeV are presented and compared. The inclusive cross sections for p 20Ne (pN) with xF≤0 are 61.1±2.8 mb (3.34±0.64 mb) for KS0, 40.8±2.5 mb (1.89±0.29 mb) for Λ0, and 3.9±0.5 mb (0.31±0.08 mb) for bar Λ 0. The multiplicity ratio for p 20Ne and pN interactions is 1.58±0.16 for KS0, 1.95±0.23 for Λ0, and 1.12±0.43 for bar Λ 0. We have observed the Σ0(1193) hyperon and measured the average multiplicity (nΣ0=0.049±0.027) for xF≤0. We have also observed the strange resonances K*(892), K*(1415), and Σ*(1385) with xF≤0 and measured the fraction of V0 coming from each resonance. Λ0 polarization for xF≤0 is measured and shows a decrease as pperpendicular increases [pΛ(p 20Ne)∼-0.25 at pperpendicular=1.5 GeV/c], in agreement with other experiments which measure polarization in the region xF much-gt 0. Since (43±7)% of the Λ0 are produced in Σ0→Λ0γ decays, the Λ0 polarization is significantly greater than the measured values