Cross sections and charged multiplicity distributions for π+p,K+p andpp interactions at 250 GeV/c

Cross sections and charged multiplicity distributions for p⁺p,K⁺p andpp interactions at 250 GeV/c are presented and compared to each other as well as to earlier (for p⁺p andK⁺p lower energy) data. Consistently, the meson-proton (M⁺p) data have narrower multiplicity distributions and higher average multiplicity thanpp data. Up to our energy, generalized KNO functions describe the energy dependence of the shape of the multiplity distribution with one parameter forM⁺p and one forpp collisions. If interpreted in terms of negative binomials, the parameter 1/k tends to be slightly lower forM⁺p than forpp data. For both types of hadron-hadron collision, 1/k is larger than fore⁺e^- andlp collisions.