Measurement of the real part of the forward scattering amplitude in K±p elastic scattering at 10.4 and 14 GeV/c

The differential cross section for K^±p elastic scattering has been measured in the very low t region (0.003 < t < 0.2 GeV²) in a wire chamber spectrometer experiment at 10.4 and 14 GeV/c. The interference effect observed between the Coulomb and the nuclear interaction has been used to determine α, the ratio of real to imaginary part of the forward scattering amplitude. At 10.4 GeV/c we measure α(K⁺p) = ?0.21 ± 0.06 and α(K^?p = 0.08 ± 0.04, and at 14 GeV/c, α(K⁺p) = ? 0.13 ± 0.03 and α(K^?p) = 0.000 ± 0.04 in agreeement with the predictions of dispersion theory calculation.