InclusiveΛ0polarization in proton-nucleus collisions at 12 GeV

The polarization of ${\Lambda }^0$ hyperons in inclusive production by 12-GeV protons on nuclei has been measured for beryllium, copper, and tungsten targets. Data are obtained at five production angles, 3.5°, 5.0°, 6.5°, 8.0°, and 9.5°, covering the kinematic range 0.26≤$x_F$≤0.77 and 0.4≤$p_T$≤1.5 GeV/c. The dependence of the polarization on target nuclei is investigated by statistical analyses of the data. The polarization at fixed $p_T$ increases roughly linearly with $x_F$. The present results are compared with other work at higher energies in terms of the A dependence and the ($x_F$,$p_T$) dependence.