FAST DEUTERON AND DEUTERON-LIKE PAIRS PRODUCED IN PROTON INTERACTIONSWITH EMULSION NUCLEI AT 8.4-GEV C/

The probability of deuteron formation resulting from the interaction o f high energy protons with nucleons, light nuclei (CNO) and heavy nucl ei (Ag, Br) is discussed. The proportionality of the identified deuter ons and protons (produced at the same angle due to the same interactio n) agrees with that of the Butler and Pearson model which owes the deu teron formation to the average nuclear interaction seen by the cascade nucleons within the nucleus and then the normal n-p interaction. The data are based on the momentum and angular distributions of the outgoi ng particles.