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.

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 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 single-pion production reactions $pp\to d\pi^+$, $pp\to np\pi^+$ and $pp\to pp\pi^0$ were measured at a beam momentum of 0.95 GeV/c ($T_p \approx$ 400 MeV) using the short version of the COSY-TOF spectrometer. The implementation of a central calorimeter provided particle identification, energy determination and neutron detection in addition to time-of-flight and angle measurements. Thus all pion production channels were recorded with 1-4 overconstraints. The total and differential cross sections obtained are compared to previous data and theoretical calculations. Main emphasis is put on the discussion of the $pp\pi^0$ channel, where we obtain angular distributions different from previous experimental results, however, partly in good agreement with recent phenomenological and theoretical predictions. In particular we observe very large anisotropies for the $\pi^0$ angular distributions in the kinematical region of small relative proton momenta revealing there a dominance of proton spinflip transitions associated with $\pi^0$ $s$- and $d$-partial waves and emphasizing the important role of $\pi^0$ d-waves.

Sigma+ hyperon production was measured at the COSY-11 spectrometer via the p p --> n K+ Sigma+ reaction at excess energies of Q = 13 MeV and Q = 60 MeV. These measurements continue systematic hyperon production studies via the p p --> p K+ Lambda/Sigma0 reactions where a strong decrease of the cross section ratio close-to-threshold was observed. In order to verify models developed for the description of the Lambda and Sigma0 production we have performed the measurement on the Sigma+ hyperon and found unexpectedly that the total cross section is by more than one order of magnitude larger than predicted by all anticipated models. After the reconstruction of the kaon and neutron four momenta, the Sigma+ is identified via the missing mass technique. Details of the method and the measurement will be given and discussed in view of theoretical models.

The pp->pp phi reaction has been studied at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY-Juelich, using the internal beam and ANKE facility. Total cross sections have been determined at three excess energies epsilon near the production threshold. The differential cross section closest to threshold at epsilon=18.5 MeV exhibits a clear S-wave dominance as well as a noticeable effect due to the proton-proton final state interaction. Taken together with data for pp omega-production, a significant enhancement of the phi/omega ratio of a factor 8 is found compared to predictions based on the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule.

The total cross section of the reaction pp->ppK+K- has been measured at excess energies Q=10 MeV and 28 MeV with the magnetic spectrometer COSY-11. The new data show a significant enhancement of the total cross section compared to pure phase space expectations or calculations within a one boson exchange model. In addition, we present invariant mass spectra of two particle subsystems. While the K+K- system is rather constant for different invariant masses, there is an enhancement in the pK- system towards lower masses which could at least be partially connected to the influence of the Lambda(1405) resonance.

Hyperon production in the threshold region was studied in the reaction pp→K+Λp using the time-of-flight spectrometer COSY-TOF. Exclusive data, covering the full phase-space, were taken at three different beam momenta pbeam=2.59 , 2.68 and 2.85 GeV/ c (corresponding to excess energies of ɛ=85 , 115 and 171 MeV). Total cross-sections were deduced to be 7.4±0.5 μb , 8.6±0.6 μb and 16.5±0.4 μb , respectively. Differential observables including Dalitz plots were obtained. From the investigation of the Dalitz plot at pbeam=2.85 GeV/c a dominant contribution of the N∗(1650) -resonance to the reaction mechanism was found. In addition the pΛ -final-state interaction turned out to have a significant influence on the Dalitz plot distribution even 171 MeV above threshold.