Breakup of target nuclei and modified cascade-evaporation model for nucleus-nucleus interactions

The multiplicities and the angular and momentum features of secondaries from the inelastic interactions of protons, deuterons, alpha particles, and carbon nuclei (accelerated to a momentum of 4.2 GeV/c per projectile nucleon) with carbon nuclei in a propane bubble chamber and from similar interactions accompanied by a complete breakup of carbon target nuclei have been compared with the predictions of a modified cascade-evaporation model. The model has been found to describe experimental data to within 20-30%. The inclusion of the braking of a projectile in the nuclear medium of a target improves the agreement with data for events resulting in the complete breakup of target nuclei, but this affects only slightly the features of inelastic interactions.