Tuning the Geant4 FTF Model Using Experimental Data of the NA61/SHINE Collaboration

The FTF model is an implementation of the well-known FRITIOF model of Lund University. It is used in the Geant4 package for simulations of hadron–nucleon, hadron–nucleus and nucleus–nucleus interactions at high energies. Thus, for various practical applications, it is important to have correct simulation results. This aim can be reached in a fine tuning of model parameters. In the presented paper, probabilities of strange meson production in quark and diquark fragmentations, and a probability of meson emission by diquarks are determined. A good description of the NA61/SHINE data on production of $${{\pi }^{ \pm }}$$ mesons in $$pp$$ , $$p{\text{C}}$$ and $$AA$$ interactions has been achieved. However, there remains the problem of describing yields of strange mesons in nucleus–nucleus collisions. The model significantly underestimates yields of $${{K}^{ + }}$$ and $${{K}^{ - }}$$ mesons in $$^{{40}}{\text{Ar}} + \,{{\,}^{{45}}}{\text{Sc}}$$ interactions.