Measurement of the reactions K+d → K+d and K+d → p+pn and an investigation of elastic K+-nucleon scattering at 4.6 GeV/c

The coherent elastic reaction K⁺d → K⁺d and the break-up reaction K⁺d → K⁺pn are studied in a K⁺d experiment at 4.6 GeV/c which the CERN 2 m bubble chamber. Partial and differential cross sections are given and the slopes of the differential cross sections are determined. The results for the reaction K⁺d → K⁺p(n_s), where n_s denotes the spectator neutron, are compared with those of the reaction K⁺p → K⁺p on free protons. Combining our data with existing data on the reactions K⁺d → K⁰pp and K⁺p → K⁺p, parameters of the elastic K⁺-nucleon scattering at 4.6 GeV/c are determined in the framework of the Glauber model. The D-wave of the deuteron and spin-flip effects are taken into account.     

Inclusive production cross sections of resonances in 32 GeV/c K+p interactions

The inclusive production of resonances is systematically studied in K⁺p interactions at 32 GeV/c. Total production cross sections are given for three baryon resonances, five vector and three 2⁺ tensor mesons. We also compare the central and fragmentation components of the total production cross sections with quark model predictions.     

Neutral kaon production in K+p interactions at 32 GeV/c

The production of neutral kaons in the reaction K⁺p → Kⁿ + X is studied at the incident momentum of 32 GeV/c. Inclusive cross sections and single-particle distributions are presented and compared with the data at lower energies. The total inclusive cross section amounts to 7.9 ± 0.3 mb at 32 GeV/c and is significantly higher than at lower energies due to the rapid rise of multikaon production. The fraction of Kⁿ's coming from the decay of the K¹ resonances stays roughly constant with energy between 8.2 and 32 GeV/c. In the central and beam fragmentation regions the single-particle distributions reveal no energy dependence between the 16 and 32 GeV/c data in contrast with the behaviour at lower energies, while in the proton fragmentation region the data are compatible with the trend observed at lower energies and with theoretical expectations.     

K+P elastic scattering at 32 GeV/c

Elastic scattering of 32.1 GeV/c K⁺ on protons has been measured in a bubble chamber experiment. Results are presented in the momentum transfer interval 0.06–1.40 GeV² and compared with data at different energies. An effective Regge trajectory is calculated using K⁺p elastic data from 10 to 175 GeV/c.     

Λ production in K−p interactions at 32 GeV/c

Lambda production is studied in K^?p interactions at 32 GeV/c. The total Λ cross section is 2.31±0.03 mb. Using the measured Λγ combinations we find that (31±4)% of all Λ's are produced via the Σ⁰→Λγ decay. About 60% of the Λ's are associated with either a $\text{N}\text{N}\text{or K}\text{K}$ pair; about 40% of the Λ's are produced through the hypercharge annihiltion reaction K^?p→Λ+π'a. The two-peak structure of the invariant x distribution can be related to fragmentation processes. The Λ is found to be unpolarized in the target fragmentation region, whereas a transverse polarization is observed for forward produced Λ's. As a function of p⊥, a polarization effect is measured at medium p⊥.     

Inclusive production from 10 GeV/c K+ on nuclei and comparison with the same production on hydrogen

Transverse and longitudinal distributions for the K⁰ inclusive production induced by 10 GeV/c K⁺ incident on complex nuclei are obtained. They are compared with the same distributions on hydrogen from K⁺ at comparable energies. Some differences are observed in the rapidity distribution of K⁰ when produced on nuclei and on free protons. These differences are correlated with the fast charged tracks multiplicity associated with the observed K⁰.     

Non-strange vector meson production in K−p interactions at 4.2 GeV/c

The vector meson production, hypercharge exchange reactions K^?p → (φ, ω, ?) Λ and (φ, ?) Σ⁰ are studied at 4.2 GeV/c incident momentum. The data come from a high statistics bubble chamber experiment with a sensitivity of ～ 120 events/μb. Total and differential cross sections are presented. The vector meson density matrix elements and hyperon polarization are investigated as functions of momentum transfer. Amplitude analyses are performed for all five reactions. The results are compared with duality and quark model predictions, as well as used to test current ideas in two-body phenomenology.     

K−p elastic scattering at 14.3 GeV/c

Results are presented of a bubble chamber experiment on K^?p elastic scattering at 14.3 GeV/c, in four-momentum transfer range 0.04 < |t| < 2.74 GeV² using an initial set of 40 000 events. The total elastic cross section is (2.96 ± 0.10) mb. The results are compared with K⁺p elastic scattering data at 13.8 GeV/c, and the effective Regge trajectory is calculated using K^?p data from 5 to 100 GeV/c.     

The K−p charge exchange and elastic scattering reactions at 4.2 GeV/c

In this letter results are presented on the reactions $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{p →}\text{K}{}^0\text{n and K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{p → K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{p}$ from a high statistics CERN 2-metre hydrogen bubble chamber exposure at 4.15 GeV/c. The behaviour of the differential cross section as a function of four-momentum transfer shows remarkable similarities between the two reactions studied. From a comparison of our data with K⁺p elastic scattering at 4.27 GeV/c we draw some conclusions concerning the magnitude of the contributing amplitudes.     

Vector and tensor meson production in K−p interactions at 32 GeV/c

Inclusive production of vector and tensor mesons is studied in a K^?p experiment at 32 GeV/c in the MIRABELLE bubble chamber. The $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>0</mtext>}}\text{(890)}$, ?⁰ and ω cross sections are comparable, about 4 mb each. The $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>0</mtext>}}\text{(1420}$ and cross sections are also comparable, about 1 mb each. The $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>o</mtext><mtext>?</mtext><mtext>+</mtext>}}$(890), Φ, $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>o</mtext><mtext>?</mtext><mtext>?</mtext>}}$(1420) and f cross sections beam fragmentation; ? production is almost forward-backward symmetric in the c.m.s. The p_T production slopes of $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>o</mtext><mtext>?</mtext><mtext>?</mtext>}}\text{(890)}$ and ? are similar, the Φ slope is shallower. Vector and tensor mesons alone are responsible for ?50% (?60%) of final-state pions     

Polarization measurements in K+n charge exchange at 6 and 12 GeV/c

The polarization in K⁺n↑ → K⁰p has been measured at 6 and 12 GeV/c in the interval 0.1 < |t| < 1.0 using a polarized deuteron target. The results are compared to predictions from SU(3), exchange degeneracy (EXD) and line reserval, and from various phenomenological models.     

Associated average charged particle multiplicities in K+p interactions at 32 GeV/c

The average charged particle multiplicities, 〈n_R(M_X²)〉, in the reactions K⁺p → π^?X and K⁺p → K⁰X at 32 GeV/c are studied as functions of the mass squared M_X² of the “associated” system X. A comparison with the corresponding results obtained at lower incident momenta is presented.     

Study of quasi two-body final states in K−n reactions at 8.25 GeV/c

Cross sections for various channels in 3 prong + V₀ final states of K^?n interactions are obtained at 8.25 GeV/c. An energy dependence study of the quasi two-body reactions Σ^?(1385) + vector meson and ΛB^? seem to imply the presence of cuts in the Regge exchange formalism, whereas the reaction Δ(1236) $\text{K}$¹ (890) does not require such cuts. Upper limits of 1 and 2 μb are found for the reactions K^?n → ΛA₁ and K^?n → ΛA₂.     

Channel cross sections and two-body reactions in K−p interactions at 32 GeV/c

We present a systematic investigation of channel cross sections in K^?p interactions at 32 GeV/c. The energy dependence of these cross sections is discussed. We also investigate a few non-diffractive two-body reactions. The total cross sections of the two reactions $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{p}\text{→}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{1?}}\text{(890)}\text{p}\text{and}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{p}\text{→}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{1?}}\text{(1420)}\text{p}$ have a markedly different energy behaviour. There is clear evidence for the reaction $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{p}\text{→}\text{K}{}^{10}\text{(890)}\text{N}{}^0\text{(1688)}$; its differnttial cross section exhibits a sharp forward slope of 24 ± 3 GeV^?2.     

Dispersion-relation analysis of K+p scattering below 2 GeV/c

We have obtained K⁺p scattering amplitudes that fit a large body of data below 2 GeV/c, satisfy phenomenological partial-wave backward dispersion relations, and are consistent with forward dispersion relations for the spin-non-flip amplitude, and forward dispersion-relation sum rules for the K⁺p P-wave scattering lengths. This has been achieved by firstly making an energy-dependent phase-shift analysis of 1 660 pieces of K⁺p data below 2 GeV/c, using parameterised partial-wave dispersion relations, with the additional constraints of forward dispersion relations and P-wave scattering lengths obtained from forward dispersion-relation sum rules, and then checking the resulting solutions for consistency with backward K⁺p dispersion relations.     

Charged multiplicities in K−p interactions at 100 GeV/c

The charged multiplicity distribution is presented for K^?p interactions produced in the hydrogen bubble chamber, BEBC, using an r.f. separated, tagged K^? beam of 110 GeV/c momentum. A comparison with K⁺p, πp and pp data at lower energies shows that the main features of the multiplicity distributions depend on energy and charge of the incident particles, but not on their strangeness. At high energies, only the energy is important.