Current algebra, partial conservation of the axial-vector current, andp¯p→KK¯ππ

Abstract

Using the techniques of current algebra and the partially conserved axial-vector current (PCAC) hypothesis, we perform a soft-pion calculation of the amplitudes for four proton-antiproton annihilation processes: $\overline{p}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, $\overline{p}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$, $\overline{p}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}{K}^{0}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$, and $\overline{p}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{\overline{K}}^{0}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$. From these results we obtain predictions for the reaction rates of these annihilation processes at various center-of-mass energies normalized to the $\overline{p}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ rate. The predictions are compared with the existing experimental data.