Resonance production in the reaction π±p→Ks0K±p at 30 and 50 GeV/c

The mass and momentum transfer spectra of the charged $\text{K}\text{K}$ system produced in the reaction π^±p→K_s⁰K^±p are analyzed. The data have been collected at the CERN SPS with the Geneva-Lausanne two-arm, non-magnetic spectrometer at 30 and 50 GeV/c incident momenta. The general features of the reactions at these energies and the results of partial-wave analyses of the two kaon system are presented.The channel is dominated by the diffractive production of even spin resonances. The spin 4 recurrence of the A₂(1320) is clearly observed at 2040 MeV (Γ=380 MeV. A new resonance is observed with a mass M=2450MeV and a width Γ=400 MeV; the quantum numbers of this state are found to be I^G(J^PC)=1^?(6++). The analysis also shows the decay of the decay of the meson ?′(1600) through the $\text{K}\text{K}$ channel at both energies.The production amplitudes are determined both as a function of the $\text{K}\text{K}$ effective mass and of the momentum transfer. Isoscalar natural parity exchange is dominant. The energy dependence between 10 and 50 GeV/c is shown to be well described by a Regge pole model based on the f-dominated pomeron hypothesis. We compare the production mechanisms of the 2⁺ resonances A₂(1320) and K¹(1430). Finally, we estimate the $\text{K}\text{K}$ branching ratios of the spin 4 A₂(2040) and spin 6 A₂(2450) resonances.