Measurement of the polarization parameter for antiproton-proton annihilation into charged pion and kaon pairs between 1.0 and 2.2 GeV/c

The polarization parameter P for the reactions $\text{p}\text{p}\text{→ π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ and $\text{p}\text{p}\text{→}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ has been measured over essentially the full angular range at ll laboratory momenta between 1.0 and 2.2. GeV/c, using a proton target polarized perpendicular to the scattering plane. The angles and momenta of both final state particles were determined from wire spark chambers, using the deflection caused by the polarized target magnet. Between 1000 and 5300 π^?π⁺ events, and 140 and 1300 K^?K⁺ events, were measured at each momentum. Differential cross sections for $\text{p}\text{p}\text{→ π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ were obtained. These are in excellent agreement with previous results. The polarization parameter for both channels is very close to +1 over much of the angular range. Legendre polynomial fits to the data are presented.