Strange-particle production in neutrino-neon charged-current interactions

We report a study of strange-particle production from 61?0 charged-current ${\nu }_{\mu }$Ne interactions in the Fermilab 15-ft bubble chamber. The observed sample consists of 2279 $K^0$, 1843 Λ (including 94 ${\Sigma }^0$), 93 Λ¯, and 4 ${\Xi }^{\mathrm{-}}$. We give inclusive production rates for each of these, as well as the rates for specific single-, double-, and triple-vee channels. From these we derive the rates for associated production of ss¯ quark pairs, and for single-s-quark production via charm decay. The dependence of $K^0$ and Λ production on $E_{\nu }$, $Q^2$, $W^2$, $x_B$, and $y_B$ are given. Normalized distributions of Feynman x, rapidity, fragmentation variable z, and transverse momentum squared are obtained for $K^0$ and Λ, and compared with those for charged pions. QCD predictions on the behavior of 〈$P_T$ ${\mathrm{}}^2$〉 are tested.