Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms and the Cronin Effect

The influence of nuclear multiscattering and shadowing on pion spectra is investigated in $pA$ collisions from CERN SPS to RHIC energies. The calculations are performed in a next-to-leading order (NLO) pQCD-improved parton model, including intrinsic partonic transverse momentum distributions. The nuclear modification of the pion spectra (Cronin effect) is considered at different targets in a wide energy range. Theoretical predictions are displayed for planned $pA$ experiments at CERN SPS and recent $dAu$ experimental results are analysed at RHIC.