Observation of prompt single muon production by hadrons at Fermilab

Talk given by M. H. Shaevitz at the Third International Conference at Vanderbilt University, March 3 to 6, 1978, on New Results in High Energy Physics. In an experiment at Fermilb, prompt single and dimuon production by 400-GeV protons in a large acceptance detector. A substantial prompt single muon rate was observed in the region 0.7 < p/sub perpendicular/ < 1.5 GeV/c and x/sub F/ 0.25 indicating the production and weak decay of heavy short-lived sources. If interpreted as charmed particle production, a model dependent calculation indicates a cross section for pp → charm + anything of approximately 40 μb. 8 references