Improved parametrization of K[superscript +] production in p-Be collisions at low energy using Feynman scaling

Abstract

This paper describes an improved parametrization for proton-beryllium production of secondary K[superscript +] mesons for experiments with primary proton beams from 8.89 to 24 GeV/c. The parametrization is based on Feynman scaling in which the invariant cross section is described as a function of x[subscript F] and p[subscript T]. This method is theoretically motivated and provides a better description of the energy dependence of kaon production at low beam energies than other parametrizations such as the commonly used modified Sanford-Wang model. This Feynman scaling parametrization has been used for the simulation of the neutrino flux from the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermilab and has been shown to agree with the neutrino interaction data from the SciBooNE experiment. This parametrization will also be useful for future neutrino experiments with low primary beam energies, such as those planned for the Project X accelerator.