Limits on the production of direct photons in 200A GeV S-32+Au collisions

A search for the production of direct photons in S + An collisions at 200A GeV has been carried out in the CERN-WA80 experiment. For central collisions the measured photon excess at each pr, averaged over the range 0.5 less than or equal to p(T) less than or equal to less than or equal to 2.5 GeV/c, corresponded to 5.0% of the total inclusive photon yield with a statistical error of sigma(stat) = 0.8% and a systematic error of sigma(syst) = 5.8%. Upper limits on the invariant yield for direct photon production at the 90% C.L. are presented. Possible implications for the dynamics of high-energy heavy-ion collisions are discussed.