Charged-particle pseudorapidity (rapidity) distribution in nucleus-nucleus collisions at alternating-gradient synchrotron energy

The charged-particle pseudorapidity (rapidity) distributions in nucleus-nucleus collisions at the alternating-gradient synchrotron energy (11-15A GeV) have been described by the thermalized cylinder picture. The calculated results are in agreement with the experimental data of the reactions 28si + Au, Ag, Cu, and Al at 14.6A GeV/c bombarding energy. It is shown that the target stropping power (the leading participant target nucleon rapidity shift with respect to the projectile) increases with the target size, and the projectile penetrating power (the leading participant projectile nucleon rapidity shift with respect to the target) decreases with the increasing of target size. (author)