Two-proton correlations in ⁴Hep interactions at a primary momentum of 5 GeV/c

Correlations of secondary protons in (4)Hep interactions are investigated in an exclusive experiment with the aid of a 2-m liquid-hydrogen bubble chamber exposed to an alpha-particle beam of momentum 5 GeV/c (the kinetic energy of primary protons in the rest frame of the nucleus is T-p = 620 MeV). By using data obtained in 4pi geometry for six basic channels of (4)Hep interaction that lead to the production of two protons, the total correlation function for the pp system is determined, along with two-proton correlation functions for individual channels. Experimental results are compared with the predictions of the modified Lednicky-Lyuboshitz model. The value of R = 1.6 +/- 0.3 fm is obtained for the root-mean-square spacetime radius of pp emission in (4)Hep interactions. The dependence of the correlation function on the total momentum of two emitted protons and on the momentum-transfer direction is investigated. (C) 2004 MAIK"Nauka/Interperiodica".