Measurement of charged particle production from 450 GeV/c protons on beryllium

This paper presents the results on charged particle yields and production ratios as measured by the NA56/SPY experiment for 450 GeV/c proton interactions on beryllium targets. The data cover a secondary momentum range from 7 GeV/c to 135 GeV/c and $p_T$ values up to 600~MeV/c. An experimental accuracy on the measured yields in the range from $5 \%$ to $10 \%$, depending on the beam momentum, and around $3 \%$ for the particle production ratios has been achieved. These measurements are relevant for a precise evaluation of fluxes and composition of neutrino beams at accelerators. Results on the target thickness and shape dependence are also reported. Inclusive invariant cross sections in the forward direction have been derived. %An experimental accuracy of about 3\% has been achieved on the measurements %of the $K/\pi$ production ratios. These results will greatly reduce %the uncertainty on the estimation of the $\nu_e$ component of neutrino beams. %On the production yields an experimental accuracy of $ 5-10 \%$ depending %on the beam momentum has been achieved, limited only by the knowledge of %the beamline acceptance. These results will be of great value in the %calculation of neutrino fluxes in present and future neutrino beams. %Moreover, the obtained results will help in the tuning of available %hadronic Montecarlo simulations, in a region where no data were previously %available.