We have studied inclusive production of KS0, Λ, and Λ¯ particles in 20-GeV γp interactions and have found features similar to those observed in both hadronic and leptonic interactions. The production cross sections, charged-particle multiplicities, and average Λ polarization are reported. Inclusive distributions of x and pT are shown and discussed in terms of quark fragmentation models. Production cross sections for K*(890) and Σ*(1385) are also reported.

Results are presented on vector meson production in the hypercharge exchange reactions: π + p → K ∗+ (890) Y + and K − p→ ρ − Y + where Y + is either Σ + or Y ∗+ (1385). These reactions have been studied at 7 GeV/ c and 11.5 GeV/ c using the SLAC Hybrid Facility. Total and differential cross sections, hyperon polarization, and vector meson decay angular distributions are presented. We find that reactions with Σ + production are dominated by natural parity exchange. The Y ∗ (1385) reactions are consistent with substantial natural parity exchange contributions but also show significant unnatural parity exchange. The differential cross sections and polarization measurements for the vector meson production are compared to the pseudoscalar production reactions.

We present results on vector-meson photoproduction via γp→Vp in the LBL-SLAC 82-in. hydrogen bubble chamber exposed to a linearly polarized photon beam at 2.8, 4.7, and 9.3 GeV. We find ρ0 production to have the characteristics of a diffractive process, i.e., a cross section decreasing slowly with energy and a differential cross section with slope of ∼ 6.5 GeV−2. Within errors the ρ0 production amplitudes are entirely due to natural-parity exchange. s-channel helicity is conserved to a high degree in the γ→ρ0 transition. We find evidence for small helicity-flip amplitudes for ππ pairs in the ρ0 region. Photoproduction of ω mesons is separated into its natural- (σN) and unnatural- (σU) parity-exchange contributions. The Eγ and t dependence and the spin density matrix of the unnatural-parity-exchange contribution are consistent with a one-pion-exchange process. The natural-parity-exchange part has characteristics similar to ρ0 production. At 9.3 GeV the ratio of σ(ρ0) to σN(ω) is ∼ 7. The slope of the φ differential cross section is ∼ 4.5 GeV−2, smaller than that of ρ0 and ω production. Natural-parity exchange is the main contributor to φ production. No evidence for higher-mass vector mesons is found in ππ, πππ, or KK¯ final states. The s and t dependences of Compton scattering as calculated from ρ, ω, and φ photoproduction using vector-meson dominance agree with experiment, but the predicted Compton cross section is too small by a factor of 2.

Photoproduction is studied at 2.8 and 4.7 GeV using a linearly polarized monoenergetic photon beam in a hydrogen bubble chamber. We discuss the experimental procedure, the determination of channel cross sections, and the analysis of the channel γp→pπ+π−. A model-independent analysis of the ρ0-decay angular distribution allows us to measure nine independent density-matrix elements. From these we find that the reaction γp→pρ0 proceeds almost completely through natural parity exchange for squared momentum transfers |t|<1 GeV2 and that the ρ production mechanism is consistent with s-channel c.m. helicity conservation for |t|<0.4 GeV2. A cross section for the production of π+π− pairs in the s-channel c.m. helicity-conserving p-wave state is determined. The ρ mass shape is studied as a function of momentum transfer and is found to be inconsistent with a t-independent Ross-Stodolsky factor. Using a t-dependent parametrization of the ρ0 mass shape we derive a phenomenological ρ0 cross section. We compare our phenomenological ρ0 cross section with other experiments and find good agreement for 0.05<|t|<1 GeV2. We discuss the discrepancies in the various determinations of the forward differential cross section. We study models for ρ0 photoproduction and find that the Söding model best describes the data. Using the Söding model we determine a ρ0 cross section. We determine cross sections and nine density-matrix elements for γp→Δ++π−. The parity asymmetry for Δ++ production is incompatible with simple one-pion exchange. We compare Δ++ production with models.

We have measured in a single experimental setup the differential cross sections and polarizations of the Y*(1385) produced in the two line-reversed reactions π+p→K+Y*(1385) (260 eV/μb) and K−p→π−Y*(1385) (180 eV/μb) at 11.5 GeV/c. We compare these results to Σ+ production in the same experiment. The data have been derived from a triggered bubble-chamber experiment using the SLAC Hybrid Facility. We find that both helicity-flip-dominated (Y*) and helicity-nonflip-dominated (Σ) processes are consistent with weak-exchange-degeneracy predictions.

We have measured in a single experimental setup, the differential cross sections and decay angular distributions of the Y ∗ (1385) produced in the two line-reversed reactions: π + p → K + Y ∗+ (1385) (279 events/ω b ) and K − p → π − Y ∗+ (1385) (190 events/ωb) at 11.5 GeV/ c . The data have been derived from a triggered bubble-chamber experiment using the SLAC Hybrid Facility. We find the differential cross sections and Y ∗ polarizations for the two reactions to be in agreement with exchange-degeneracy predictions, if kinematic differences are taken into account. The Stodolsky-Sakurai and additive quark model predictions are in agreement with the main features of the decay angular distributions of the Y ∗ (1385), except for small violations at low momentum transfer, which can be associated with a finite helicity non-flip contribution in the forward direction.

Data from the reactions π−p→π−π−π+p and π+p→π+π+π−p have been obtained at 16 GeV/c in approximately equal samples from the BNL 80-in. hydrogen bubble chamber. We have studied both reactions for resonance production and compared our results with predictions of the one-pion-exchange model (OPEM) calculated by Wolf. The four-body longitudinal phase-space (LPS) plot suggested by Van Hove was used to analyze the data from both reactions. The events were separated according to distinct regions of the LPS plot in order to study the following classes of quasi-two-body final states: (1) diffractively produced three-pion states, (2) diffractively produced ππp states, (3) double-resonance production such as ρ0Δ++, (4) single-resonance production such as π−π−Δ++. The Van Hove analysis provided a much cleaner separation of resonances from background effects than the usual techniques. We observe production of the A1 and A2 mesons as well as the N*(1470) and N*(1700) isobars in the π+π−p system for both reactions. There is strong formation of the doubly resonant states ρ0Δ++ and f0Δ++ and the general features of the nondiffractive events are all in good agreement with one-pion exchange. Detailed comparisons between the data and the OPEM in each LPS plot region show that Van Hove analysis provides a sensitive test for the OPE model.

Inclusive ϱ 0 production in γ p → ϱ 0 + anything is studied at 2.8, 4.7, and 9.3 GeV, using the SLAC linearly polarized backscattered laser photon beam and the 82 inch hydrogen bubble chamber. Over this energy range the inclusive inelastic ϱ 0 cross section rises from 6.0 μb to 20.5 μb. The multiplicity, i.e. the average number of μ 0 mesons per inelastic hadronic event, has an energy dependence consistent with 1n s .

We have measured inclusive distributions for charged particles in hadronic decays of the Z boson. The variables chosen for study were charged-particle multiplicity, scaled momentum, and momenta transverse to the sphericity axes. The distributions have been corrected for detector effects and are compared with data from e+e− annihilation at lower energies and with the predictions of several QCD-based models. The data are in reasonable agreement with expectations.

We have studied the energy-energy correlation in e+e− annihilation into hadrons at √s =29 GeV using the Mark II detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP. We find to O(αs2) that αs=0.158±0.003±0.008 if hadronization is described by string fragmentation. Independent fragmentation schemes give αs=0.10–0.14, and give poor agreement with the data. A leading-log shower fragmentation model is found to describe the data well.