Evidence of the same multiparticle production mechanism in p−p collisions as in e+e− annihilation

The split-field magnet spectrometer at the CERN intersecting storage rings was used to measure, in p−p collisions at SQRT(s)=62GeV, the inclusive momentum distribution of the charged particles produced in the same hemisphere as the leading proton (x>0.4). A new scaling variable was introduced in order to take into account baryon-number conservation effects in p−p interactions. It is shown that distributions in this variable are in good agreement with the momentum distribution of the hadrons produced in e+e− annihilation. The results suggest that the multiparticle production mechanism in p−p collisions is the same as in e+e− provided that the effects of baryon-number conservation are removed.