Abstract
The minimum-bias multiplicity distribution and the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity distributions for central collisions have been measured for negative hadrons (h-) in Au + Au interactions at ⊡sNN = 130 GeV. The multiplicity density at midrapidity for the 5% most central interactions is dNh-/dη|η=0= 280 ± 1(stat) ± 20(syst), an increase per participant of 38% relative to pp⊯ collisions at the same energy. The mean transverse momentum is 0.508 ± 0.012GeV/c and is larger than in central Pb + Pb collisions at lower energies. The scaling of the h-yield per participant is a strong function of p⊥. The pseudorapidity distribution is almost constant within |η| < 1.