Formula omitted] production in K −p → NK π at 16 GeV/ c

Abstract

Results on K ∗(890) production in K −p → NK π reactions at 16 GeV/ c are presented. Total cross sections, differential cross sections and density matrix elements are determined. It is found that: (i) The cross section for K ∗−(890) p is consistent with containing two components, one due to natural parity exchange, falling slowly with increasing energy, the other, due to unnatural parity exchange, vanishing rapidly with increasing energy. For K ∗ o (890) n , the cross section decreases steadily as the energy increases. (ii) Natural spin-parity exchange dominates in the K ∗−(890) p channel, the unnatural exchange contribution being approximately (5±4)%. In K ∗ o (890) n , natural spin-parity exchange is only about (30±10)%. (iii) The reacton K − p → K ∗−(890) p is dominated (95±5)% by isoscalar exchange. (iv) The effective trajectory involved in the I = 0 natural parity exchange is consistent with the ω-f trajectory. (v) Interference terms between exchanges with positive (f, π o,…) and negative (ϱ o, ω,…) C-conjugation amount to (23±12) μb at 16 GeV/c.