Evidence for Statistical Production ofJ/ψMesons in Nuclear Collisions at 158–200AGeV

The hypothesis of statistical production of $J/\psi$ mesons at hadronization is formulated and checked against experimental data. It explains in a natural way the observed scaling behavior of the $J/\psi$ to pion ratio at CERN SPS energies. Using the multiplicities of $J/\psi$ and $\eta$ mesons the hadronization temperature $T_H\approx 175\mathrm{MeV}$ is found, which agrees with the previous estimates of the temperature parameter based on the analysis of the hadron yield systematics.