Vector-meson production at large transverse momentum

This paper considers possible extensions of the Landshoff-Polkinghorne quark-fusion model, for the production of large-$p_T$ pseudoscalar mesons, to include the vector-meson nonet. The relative multiplicities of pseudoscalars, taking vector-meson decay into account, are calculated in two models. The leptonic decays of the ${\rho }^0$, $\omega$, and $\phi$ give rise to a predicted $\frac{e^{+}}{{\pi }^{+}}$ ratio of about 5 × ${10}^{-5\mathrm{}}$ in both models. Qualitative features of the models are discussed in the light of existing data on the structure of large-transverse-momentum events.