Forward K1+ (892) production in K+p → π+Ks0p at 12.7 GeV/c

We have measured 618 K⁺p → π⁺K_S⁰p events at 12.7 GeV/c incident lab momentum, mass range 790 ? m_π⁺Ks⁰ ? 990 MeV and t range 0.01 ? ?t ? 0.60 (GeV/c)². The π⁺K_S⁰ mass spectrum is dominated by the K¹⁺ (892) resonance and a Breit-Wigner fit yields a mass m = 893.5 ± 1.1 MeV and a width Γ = 33.2 ± 4.1 MeV which is much narrower than measured hitherto. The t distribution of K¹⁺ (892) events shows a dip in the forward direction and an exponential fall off thereafter, consistent with dominance of helicity flip amplitudes. The spin density matrix is almost saturated by ρ₁₁ and ρ_1?1 which are very close to their maximum allowed value of $\text{1}\text{2}$ throughout the measured t range except in the very forward direction where ρ₀₀ and Re ρ₁₀ deviate from zero. Natural parity exchanges, therefore, dominate with unnatural parity exchanges being restricted to a small region in the forward direction. A Regge pole analysis of the differential cross sections of the present measurement in conjunction with previously measured total cross sections supports the f-coupled-pomeron hypothesis.