Observation of Coulomb effects in production of + - and K+K- pairs in pp collisions at 27.5 GeV/c

Abstract

In a study of collisions of 27.5 GeV/c protons in liquid hydrogen we have observed enhanced production of oppositely charged hadron pairs when the relative velocity of the two hadrons in the pair rest frame approaches c. The scale and velocity dependence of the enhancement agree well with the effect of the attractive Coulomb interaction as described by the Gamow factor. © 1992 The American Physical Society.