Measurement of charged particle production from 450 GeV/c protons on beryllium

This paper presents the results on charged particle yields and production ratios as measured by the NA56/SPY experiment for 450 GeV/c proton interactions on beryllium targets. The data cover a secondary momentum range from 7 GeV/c to 135 GeV/c and pr values up to 600 MeV/c. An experimental accuracy on the measured yields in the range from 5% to 10%, depending on the beam momentum, and around 3% for the particle production ratios has been achieved. These measurements are relevant for a precise evaluation of fluxes and composition of neutrino beams at accelerators. Results on the target thickness and shape dependence are also reported. Inclusive invariant cross sections in the forward direction have been derived.