s dependence of proton fragmentation by hadrons. I. Incident laboratory momenta 4-24 GeV/ c

Measurements of the dependence on s = (p/sub a/ + p/sub b/)/sup 2/ of the cross sections for production of single charged hadrons in the reactions a + b ..-->.. c + anything are presented. Particle c was detected in a fixed interval of laboratory momentum and angle in the fragmentation region of the target proton. The ..pi../sup + -/ and K/sup +/ production data are consistent with the Mueller-Regge prediction of an approach to scaling as A + Bs/sup -1/2/. Further tests of a simple Regge-pole model indicate that the s dependence measured is fortuitous, and that higher-energy data are required in order to make detailed tests of the model.