Experimental study of azimuthal correlations in P(C, Ta) and He(Li, C) collisions at a momentum of 4.2, 4.5 and 10 AGeV/c

Azimuthal correlations between protons and between pions were studied in pC (4.2, 10 GeV/c), He(Li, C) (4.5 AGeV/c) and pTa (10 GeV/c) interactions. The data were obtained from the SKM-200-GIBS streamer chamber and from Propane Bubble Chamber (PBL-500) systems utilized at JINR. Study of multiparticle azimuthal correlations offers unique information about space-time evolution of the interactions. Azimuthal correlations were investigated by using correlation function C(Δφ)=dN/d(Δφ), where Δφ represents the angle between the sums of transverse momenta vectors for particles emitted in the forward and backward hemispheres. For protons a ''back-to back'' (''negative'') azimuthal correlations were observed in these interactions. The correlation coefficient |ζ| decreases with the increase of momenta per nucleon and the mass numbers of the projectile (A_p). For pions a back-to-back correlation was obtained for light targets (Li, C) and a ''side-by-side'' (''positive'') correlation - for a heavy target (Ta). Also, for pions |ζ| insignificantly increases with the increase of the momenta per nucleon and almost does not change with the increase of the mass numbers of projectile A_p and target A_T nuclei. (author)