Kaon production in relativistic nuclear collisions

Kaon production in relativistic nuclear collisions is studied on the basis of a conventional multiple-collision model. The input is the differential cross sections for kaon production in elementary baryon-baryon collisions, estimated in a simple model. Inclusive kaon spectra are calculated at 2.1 GeV/nucleon for a number of experimental cases. The calculated kaon yield is approximately isotropic in the mid-rapidity frame and extends considerably beyond the nucleon-nucleon kinematical limit.