Charged particle multiplicity distributions for 33.8 GeV/c K−p and 50 GeV/c π−p interactions

Topological cross sections and average charge multiplicities 〈nc〉, are presented for 33.8 GeV/c K−p and 50 GeV/c π−p interactions observed in the 4.5 m Mirabelle hydrogen bubble chamber at Serpukhov. Values for 〈nc〉 of 5.16 ± 0.08 and 5.71 ± 0.13 were found for the K−p and π−p reactions, respectively. The two quantities 〈nc〉 and the correlation term ƒ;2 have been tabulated for π±p, K±p, and pp reactions at various energies. It is shown that the energy variation of each of these two quantities is described by a universal curve when plotted against the Q-value of the reaction. The ratio 〈nc〉/D, where D is the dispersion of the multiplicity distribution, is found to approach the constant value of 2 from above as the energy increases.