Inelasticity and leading-particle effect: Momentum and mass distribution of the central fireball in high-energy hadronic interactions

Abstract
We calculate the distribution of the invariant mass and momentum of the system left by the leading particles in high-energy hadronic reactions on the assumption that it is determined by gluon-gluon interactions. Comparisons with existing data are presented and predictions for √s =540, 2000, and 40 000 GeV are made.