Characteristics of secondary particles associated with the leading protons in n(12)C and p(12)C collisions at 3.37GeV incident energy

The new experimental data on characteristics of the secondary particles associated with the leading protons in inelastic interactions of projectile neutrons and protons with target carbon nuclei at incident momentum 4.2GeV/c (corresponds to incident kinetic energy 3.37 GeV) have been presented. The dependencies of the average multiplicities of the charged pions and accompanying protons on longitudinal as well as transverse momenta of the leading protons in n(12)C and p(12)C collisions at 4.2GeV/c have been investigated. The experimental dependencies have been compared systematically with the Monte Carlo calculations using the modified FRITIOF model. On the whole, the kinematical characteristics of the leading protons in n(12)C and p(12)C collisions have proved to be practically the same, even though they are formed as a result of different processes. From a systematic comparison of the experimental data with the model calculations, we could conclude that for a realistic description of the studied experimental dependencies it is probably necessary to take into account the interaction of strings for the case when fragmentation of strings occurs not outside of the nucleus (as it is assumed in the model), but inside and, possibly, on the boundary of the nucleus in the modified FRITIOF model.