CHEMICAL EQUILIBRATION AND FREEZE-OUT IN NUCLEUS-NUCLEUS COLLISIONS AT INCIDENT BEAM ENERGIES FROM 1A TO 2A GEV

Chemical equilibrium in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions at inc ident beam energies from 1A to 2A GeV is tested. The yields of nonstra nge particles are consistent with the chemical equilibrium scenario. H owever, strange hadrons are not in chemical equilibrium with nonstrang e particles, while the relative yields of strange hadrons among themse lves are in agreement with the model calculation, taking into account the current experimental errors. The freeze-out points at these beam e nergies are far below the estimated deconfinement phase boundary, in c ontrast to the results at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron and the Super Proton Synchrotron.