Direct photon cross sections in proton-proton and antiproton-proton interactions at root s=24.3 GeV

We report results on inclusive direct photon (gamma),pi(0), and eta production in both pp and <(p)over bar p> interactions at root s = 24.3 GeV in the transverse momentum range 4.1 less than or equal to p(T) less than or equal to 7.7 GeV/c and rapidity range -0.1 less than or equal to y less than or equal to 0.9. The data were collected between 1988 and 1990 by the UA6 experiment at CERN, which employed an internal H-2 gas jet target in the <S(p)over bar pS> collider. The inclusive direct photon cross sections and the cross section difference sigma(<(p)over bar p>) - sigma(pp) expressed as functions of p(T)(gamma) are compared with next-to-leading order QCD predictions. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. AII rights reserved.