Inclusive and exclusive data analysis in longitudinal phase space

The author argues that model independent data presentation is necessary for strong interactions because data are complex and there is no closed theory available. He has tried to recognize, describe and start to understand the main features of the production mechanism expected to dominate at high energies using a largely model independent data analysis. He studies the distribution of particles and their correlations in longitudinal phase space simultaneously in inclusive and exclusive reactions. In particular, reduced longitudinal momenta and rapidities prove very useful as parametrisations of the data, and the shape and energy dependence of the distributions in these variables can give information about the production mechanism. (94 refs).