Low-mass dileptons at 200 GeV/nucleon

We use a simple QCD-based model to study particle production in S+Au collisions at 200 GeV/nucleon. A requisite consistency is met for the hadronic observables (π⁰ and π^- spectra) while pursuing estimates for e⁺e^- production. Since radiative decays of initially produced hadrons has accounted for only a portion of the observed dileptons at the CERN SPS, we search for additional mechanisms. By including contributions from prompt secondary hadronic scatterings, πρ→πe⁺e^-, and adding to π⁺π^- annihilation and hadronic decays, part of the “excess” dilepton signal can possibly be interpreted.