Charged particle spectra in central S+S collisions at 200 GeV/cper nucleon

The transverse momentum and rapidity distributions of negative hadrons and participant protons have been measured for central ${}_{}{}^{32}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{S}$+ ${}_{}{}^{32}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{S}$ collisions at ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathrm{lab}}$=200 GeV/c per nucleon. The proton mean rapidity shift 〈Δy〉∼1.6 and mean transverse momentum 〈${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{T}}$〉∼0.6 GeV/c are much higher than in pp or peripheral AA collisions and indicate an increase in the nuclear stopping power. All ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{T}}$ spectra exhibit similar source temperatures. Including previous results for ${\mathit{K}}_{\mathit{s}}^0$ Λ, and Λ¯, we account for all important contributions to particle production.