Charged paritcle production at high transverse momentum in 200 GeV/c pp, π+p and π-p collisions

Results are presented on the production of single charged particles with transverse momentum in the range of 0.8 to 4.5 GeV/c in π+-p and pp collisions at 200 GeV/c laboratory momentum. The measurements were taken at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory with a calorimeter-triggered multi-particle spectrometer. The p/sub t/ dependence of the cross section for the reaction pp → charged particle + X is presented and found to be in good agreement with previous measurements. Ratios of single-charged particle inclusive cross sections for π+p, π-p and pp interactions with various final states are presented and compared to the prediction of hard-scattering models. Partial mass separation of final state particles was made with a multi-cell Cerenkov counter and the p/sub t/ dependence of positive to negative meson-production ratios and proton to meson production ratios for π-p and pp interactions are presented. Our data is mostly in qualitative agreement with the predictions of the quark-quark scattring model. The CIM model prediction for positive to negative meson production from π+p initial states is in clear disagreement with our data