Comparison of strangeness production between A+A and p+p reactions from 2 to 160 A GeV - art. no. 031901

The measured K+/pi(+) ratios from heavy-ion reactions are compared with the K+/pi(+) ratios from p+p reactions over the energy range 2-160 A GeV. The K/pi enhancement in heavy-ion reactions is largest at the lower energies, c onsistent with strangeness production in secondary scattering becoming rela tively more important than initial collisions near the kaon production thre shold. The enhancement decreases steadily from 4 to 160A GeV, suggesting th at the same enhancement mechanism of hadronic rescattering and decay of str ings may be applicable over this full energy range. Based on existing data, the midrapidity K+/pi(+) ratio is predicted to be 0.25+/-0.02 for the fort hcoming Pb+Pb reactions at 40 A GeV/c.