We present the analysis of the inclusive $K^{0}$ production in p+p and p+Nb collisions measured with the HADES detector at a beam kinetic energy of 3.5 GeV. Data are compared to the GiBUU transport model. The data suggest the presence of a repulsive momentum-dependent kaon potential as predicted by the Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT). For the kaon at rest and at normal nuclear density, the ChPT potential amounts to $\approx 35$ MeV. A detailed tuning of the kaon production cross sections implemented in the model has been carried out to reproduce the experimental data measured in p+p collisions. The uncertainties in the parameters of the model were examined with respect to the sensitivity of the experimental results from p+Nb collisions to the in-medium kaon potential.

Elastic scattering, single-pion and deuteron production have been investigated. The cross-section for elastic scattering is σelastic = (13.5±0.3) mb. The angular distribution has been fitted to dσ/d|t|=(dσ/d|t|)0 e −bt in the region of low values oft. The best fit givesb=(6.7±0.5) (GeV/c)−2 and (dσ/d|t|)0=(91±5) mb(GeV/c)−2. The cross-sections for ppπ0, pnπ+ reactions are respectively (2.6±0.3) mb and (9.7±0.4) mb. These reactions are dominated by the (3/2, 3/2) nucleonpion isobar production and by forward backward collimation of the nucleons. The production rates for the isobars ++1238 , +1238 , +1500 have been estimated, taking into account the experimental peripheral behaviour of the interaction. In the pnπ+ reaction they are (50±2)%; (10±3)%; (4±3)%. In the ppπ+ reaction the production of ++1238 is estimated to be (45±10)%. The dπ+ and dπ+π+π- reaction cross-sections are respectively (0.03±0.01) mb, and (0.04±0.01) mb.

Proton-proton and proton-eta invariant mass distributions and the total cross section for the pp to pp eta reaction have been determined near the threshold at an excess energy of Q=10 MeV. The experiment has been conducted using the COSY-11 detector setup and the cooler synchrotron COSY. The determined invariant mass spectra reveal significant enhancements in the region of low proton-proton relative momenta, similarly as observed previously at higher excess energies of Q=15.5 MeV and Q= 40MeV.

The two-pion production in pp-collisions has been investigated at CELSIUS in exclusive measurements from threshold up to $T_p$ = 1.36 GeV. Total and differential cross sections have been obtained for the channels $pn\pi^+\pi^0$, $pp\pi^+\pi^-$, $pp\pi^0\pi^0$ and also $nn\pi^+\pi^+$. For intermediate incident energies $T_p >$ 1 GeV, i.e. in the region which is beyond the Roper excitation but at the onset of $\Delta\Delta$ excitation, the total $pp\pi^0\pi^0$ cross section falls behind theoretical predictions by as much as an order of magnitude near 1.2 GeV, whereas the $nn\pi^+\pi^+$ cross section is a factor of five larger than predicted. An isospin decompostion of the total cross sections exhibits a s-channel-like energy dependence in the region of the Roper excitation as well as a significant contribution of an isospin 3/2 resonance other than the $\Delta(1232)$. As possible candidates the $\Delta(1600)$ and the $\Delta(1700)$ are discussed.

Data accumulated recently for the exclusive measurement of the $pp\to pp\pi^+\pi^-$ reaction at a beam energy of 0.793 GeV using the COSY-TOF spectrometer have been analyzed with respect to possible events from the $pp \to nn\pi^+\pi^+$ reaction channel. The latter is expected to be the only $\pi\pi$ production channel, which contains no major contributions from resonance excitation close to threshold and hence should be a good testing ground for chiral dynamics in the $\pi\pi$ production process. No single event has been found, which meets all conditions for being a candidate for the $pp \to nn \pi^+\pi^+$ reaction. This gives an upper limit for the cross section of 0.16 $\mu$b (90% C.L.), which is more than an order of magnitude smaller than the cross sections of the other two-pion production channels at the same incident energy.

The differential and total cross sections for kaon pair production in the pp->ppK+K- reaction have been measured at three beam energies of 2.65, 2.70, and 2.83 GeV using the ANKE magnetic spectrometer at the COSY-Juelich accelerator. These near-threshold data are separated into pairs arising from the decay of the phi-meson and the remainder. For the non-phi selection, the ratio of the differential cross sections in terms of the K-p and K+p invariant masses is strongly peaked towards low masses. This effect can be described quantitatively by using a simple ansatz for the K-p final state interaction, where it is seen that the data are sensitive to the magnitude of an effective K-p scattering length. When allowance is made for a small number of phi events where the K- rescatters from the proton, the phi region is equally well described at all three energies. A very similar phenomenon is discovered in the ratio of the cross sections as functions of the K-pp and K+pp invariant masses and the identical final state interaction model is also very successful here. The world data on the energy dependence of the non-phi total cross section is also reproduced, except possibly for the results closest to threshold.

The pp -> p K+ Y0 reaction has been studied for hyperon masses m(Y0)<1540 MeV/c2 at COSY-J\'ulich by using a 3.65 GeV/c circulating proton beam incident on an internal hydrogen target. Final states comprising two protons, one positively charged kaon and one negatively charged pion have been identified with the ANKE spectrometer. Such configurations are sensitive to the production of the ground state Lambda and Sigma0 hyperons as well as the Sigma0(1385) and Lambda(1405) resonances. Applying invariant- and missing-mass techniques, the two overlapping excited states can be separated unambiguously. The shape and position of the Lambda(1405) distribution, reconstructed cleanly from its Sigma0 pion0 decay, are similar to those found in other production modes and there is no obvious mass shift. This finding constitutes a challenging test for models that predict Lambda(1405) to be a two-state resonance.

Inclusive <math altimg="si2.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>+</mo></msup></math> production in proton–proton collisions has been measured at a beam energy of 2.16 GeV using the COSY-ANKE magnetic spectrometer. The resulting spectrum, as well as those corresponding to <math altimg="si3.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>+</mo></msup><mi>p</mi></math> and <math altimg="si4.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>+</mo></msup><msup><mi>π</mi><mo>+</mo></msup></math> correlated pairs, can all be well described using consistent values of the total cross sections for the <math altimg="si5.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><mi>p</mi><mi>p</mi><mo>→</mo><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>+</mo></msup><mi>p</mi><mi>Λ</mi></math>, <math altimg="si6.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><mi>p</mi><mi>p</mi><mo>→</mo><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>+</mo></msup><mi>p</mi><msup><mi>Σ</mi><mn>0</mn></msup></math>, and <math altimg="si7.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><mi>p</mi><mi>p</mi><mo>→</mo><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>+</mo></msup><mi>n</mi><msup><mi>Σ</mi><mo>+</mo></msup></math> reactions. While the resulting values for Λ and <math altimg="si8.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><msup><mi>Σ</mi><mn>0</mn></msup></math> production are in good agreement with world data, our value for the total <math altimg="si9.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><msup><mi>Σ</mi><mo>+</mo></msup></math> production cross section, <math altimg="si10.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><mi>σ</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>p</mi><mi>p</mi><mo>→</mo><msup><mi>K</mi><mo>+</mo></msup><mi>n</mi><msup><mi>Σ</mi><mo>+</mo></msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mo>=</mo><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mn>2.5</mn><mo>±</mo><msub><mn>0.6</mn><mi mathvariant="normal">stat</mi></msub><mo>±</mo><msub><mn>0.4</mn><mi mathvariant="normal">syst</mi></msub><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mtext> μb</mtext></math> at an excess energy of <math altimg="si11.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll"><mi>ε</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>129</mn><mtext> MeV</mtext></math>, could only be reconciled with other recently published data if there were a highly unusual near threshold behaviour.

The reaction $ pp\to pp\bf \omega$ was investigated with the TOF spectrometer, which is an external experiment at the accelerator COSY (Forschungszentrum Julich, Germany). Total as well as differential cross sections were determined at an excess energy of $93 MeV$ ($p_{beam}=2950 MeV/c$). Using the total cross section of $(9.0\pm 0.7 \pm1.1) \mu b$ for the reaction $ pp\to pp\omega$ determined here and existing data for the reaction $pp\to pp\bf \phi$, the ratio $\mathcal{R}_{\phi/\omega}=\sigma_\phi/\sigma_\omega$ turns out to be significantly larger than expected by the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule. The uncertainty of this ratio is considerably smaller than in previous determinations. The differential distributions show that the $\omega$ production is still dominated by S-wave production at this excess energy, however higher partial waves clearly contribute. A comparison of the measured angular distributions for $\omega$ production to published distributions for $\phi$ production at $83 MeV$ shows that the data are consistent with an identical production mechanism for both vector mesons.

The reaction pp->p K0 pi+ Lambda has been studied with the ANKE spectrometer at COSY-Juelich at a beam momentum of 3.65 GeV/c in order to search for a possible signal of the pentaquark Theta+(1540), decaying into the p K0 system. By detecting four charged particles in the final state, the K0 and the Lambda have been reconstructed to tag strangeness production. It has been found that the pi+ Lambda missing-mass spectrum displays no significant signal expected from the Theta+(1540) excitation. The total cross section for the reaction pp->p K0 pi+ Lambda has been deduced, as well as an upper limit for the Theta+ production cross section. The intermediate Delta++ K0 Lambda state is found to provide a significant contribution to the reaction.