Strange-Particle Production byπ+pat 3.7 GeV/c

Abstract

The results of a study of strange-particle production in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p$ interactions at 3.7 GeV/c are presented. Cross sections for a large number of strange-particle final states are given; the over-all strange-particle production cross section is about 1.3 mb. Comparison of cross-section results on two-body and quasi-two-body final states with corresponding ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ data shows no evidence for exotic exchanges. Comparison of the peripheral cross sections for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(1385)$ with those for the line-reversed reactions shows reasonable agreement for ${K}^{+}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}$ and gross disagreement for ${K}^{+}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(1385)$. Simultaneous ${K}^{*+}(891){\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(1385)$ production occurs, but, unlike its nonstrange counterpart, it is not dominated by pseudoscalar exchange. There is significant $\ensuremath{\varphi}(1019)$ production via the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\varphi}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p$, but none of it appears to be associated with ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{++}(1236)$. Cross sections for resonance production in various three- and four-body final states are presented.