Multiparticle production in antiproton-proton annihilation reactions at 7.23 GeV/c and 12 GeV/c

This thesis describes some aspects of antiproton-proton experiments at 7.23 and 12 GeV/c in the CERN 2m HBC. Chapter 1 starts with some general information regarding the different experiments. The subsequent description of a simple monitoring system for the HPD, is followed by a discussion of two software facilities. The first chapter is concluded with a description of the search for the existence of the hypothetical I-meson, by which these routines were very useful. Chapter 2 begins with a detailed description of the correction procedures for the measurement- and scan-losses. This is followed by the determination of the charged and neutral topological cross sections and of the annihilation and non-annihilation cross sections for six- and more prongs, including channels with strange particles. A detailed study is made of the s-dependence of the annihilation cross sections. A short discussion is given of the models of Goldberg, Eylon and Harari, and Gotsmann and Nussinov. Chapter 3 deals with the search for physical event-by-event fluctuations in the hadronic temperature of the annihilation reactions. The first part of this chapter is devoted to a historical review of the statistical and semi-statistical models for high energy physics. The second part describes the actual analysis of the data. The fluctuations are measured in the central region y approximately 0 and in the complete sample. It is shown that the observation of an ideal thermal production is in contradiction with the observation of large fluctuations in the temperature. (Auth.)