A study of neutral strange particle production at 38.8 GeV in proton-silicon interactions

This dissertation studies $K\sp\circ,\ \Lambda\sp\circ,$ and $\overline{\Lambda\sp\circ}$ production (neutral $V\sp\circ$ particle production) in a beauty enhanced trigger mode run of an 800 GeV/c proton beam on a silicon fixed target. Average multiplicities and $p\sb{t}$ spectra are determined for the $V\sp\circ$ production via minimum bias triggered events, single muon triggered events, and double muon triggered events. The estimated total $K\sp\circ,\ \Lambda\sp\circ,$ and $\overline{\Lambda\sp\circ}$ production cross sections are $13.31\pm0.65\ mb,\ 6.06\pm1.09\ mb,$ and $3.15\pm0.45\ mb,$ respectively, and their differential cross sections at zero rapidity are $1.46\pm0.06\ mb,\ 0.40\pm0.08\ mb,$ and $0.32\pm0.09\ mb,$ respectively. A comparison is made between $V\sp\circ$ production for minimum bias triggered events, for single and double muon triggered events, and for "charm" and "beauty" enhanced events. It is shown that the specially triggered events enrich $V\sp\circ$ production, with increased $\langle p\sb{t}\rangle.$