Comparing fragmentation of strange quark in Z0 decays and K+p reactions

Abstract The ratios of the production rates K ∗0 (892)/ K , φ/K, ρ0/π, ω/π, Δ++(1232)/p, Σ ∗+ (1385)/Λ , Ξ−/Λ and their xp-dependence obtained from results of the LEP and SLD experiments in Z0 hadronic decays are analyzed. The corresponding ratios for promptly produced mesons are estimated at xp→1. A comparison of the LEP results with those from the Mirabelle and BEBC K+p experiments at 32 and 70 GeV/c shows striking similarity in fragmentation of the s valence quark of the incident K+ and strange quarks produced in Z0 decays. The JETSET model describes the LEP, Mirabelle and BEBC results. The model of Pei is consistent with the data for mesons, but presumably underestimates the fractions of primary octet baryons. The quark combinatorics model of Anisovich et al. is incompatible with the data.