The fragmentation of the hadronic system into Λ, Σ(1385), K ) and K ∗ (892) in deep-inelastic charged-current interactions of high energy neutrinos and antineutrinos with proton and neutron is analyzed. The results obtained for the production of these particles from the various initial states are compared with each other and with the predictions of the Lund fragmentation model. This comparison shows that a spectator diquark does not fragment as a whole in a fraction of the interactions. The role of the sea quarks in the baryon formation process is underlined. Strange vector and pseudoscalar mesons are likely to be produced at similar rates.

An analysis is presented of the reaction K − p → K 0 π − p at 4.2 GeV /c incident momentum, using analytical techniques in fully dimensional phase space. This methods allows to isolate the contributions of the 0 + , 1 − and 2 + (K π ) partial waves in various helecity Separating well-understood contributions from the rest, the method is particularly useful for the detection of small effects (≈1% of the total final-state cross section) not visible in the mass distributions: (i) small cross-section contributions of 3 − (K π partial waves, K ∗ (1780), are unambiguously isolated; (ii) 3.5σ evidence is given for Σ(1480) in the (p K 0 ) system; (iii) effects due to a second K π P-wave or the possible presence of a doubly peripheral mechanism are discussed. The method furthermore allows simultaneous treatment of the (K π ) partial waves, p π ) partial waves and their interferences and of a Σ(1765) signal (with spin 5 2 ). While interferences within the (K π ) and within the (p π ) systems are strongly determining the corresponding distributions, no interference between these systems is needed.

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 production of charged kaon pairs in two-photon interactions has been studied with the ARGUS detector and the topological cross section has been measured. The γγ-widths and interference parameters have been determined for the tensor mesonsf2 (1270),a2 (1318) andf′2 (1525). The helicity structure assumed for the continuum contribution has a significant effect on the result. Upper limits have been obtained for the γγ-widths of the glueball candidate statesf2 (1720) andX (2230).

Two-photon production of the exclusive final statesp\(\bar p\)+nπ (n=0, 1, 2, and 3) has been investigated using the ARGUS detector at thee+e− storage ring DORIS II at DESY. The reactionsγγ→p\(\bar p\)π andγγ→p\(\bar p\)π+π−π0 have been observed for the first time, as have theΔ++ and\(\overline {\Delta ^{ ++ } } \) baryons in the final statep\(\bar p\)π+π−. No evidence was found forΔ++\(\overline {\Delta ^{ ++ } } \) production. Topological cross sections for two-photon production ofp\(\bar p\),p\(\bar p\)π0,p\(\bar p\)π+π− andp\(\bar p\)π+π−π0, as well as the crosssection forγγ→Δ++\(\bar p\)π+π−+c.c., have been measured. Upper limits are given for the cross section forγγ→Δ0\(\overline {\Delta ^0 } \),γγ→Δ++\(\overline {\Delta ^{ ++ } } \) andγγ→Λ\(\bar \Lambda \).

Cross sections are given for the various exclusive reactions K − p→ Λ 0 + n pions, as well as for quasi two-body final states involving ϱ 0 , ω 0 and Y 1 ∗ (1385) resonance production. The general features of Λ 0 production are presented as a function of the pion multiplicity n . Production of Y 1 ∗+ (1385) is clearly observed at all multiplicities while the Y 1 ∗− (1385) signals grow with the multiplicity, as expected in a non-exotic exchange picture. The polarisation of the Λ 0 is consistent with zero everywhere, except when it is a decay product of Y 1 ∗ (1385), when non-zero values are found for odd values of n . The reactions Λ 0 + 2π and Λ 0 + 3π are analysed in terms of the Plahte-Roberts model and good overall agreement is obtained for the various effective mass distributions and the p L ∗ , p T and cos θ distributions for the individual particles.

The production of η(550) and ω(780) mesons is studied in π ± p interactions at 16 GeV/ c and K − p interactions at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . Cross sections for exclusive channels are presented, and for the π + p data differential cross sections are given for quasi-inclusive production where the η or ω is required to be accompanied by charged particles only. Close similarities are observed between η, ω and also ϱ 0 (770) production in terms of longitudinal and transverse variables. By a rough estimate, the η, ω and ϱ 0 inclusive yields are found to be in the ratio 0.32 : 0.85 : 1, respectively, for 16 GeV/ c π + p collisions. For non-peripheral production we estimate this same ratio to be 0.34 : 0.9 : 1.

A comparison is made of the properties and production mechanisms of the π + ω and K − ω systems produced in the reactions π + p → π + ω p at 4, 5, 8 and 16 GeV/ c and K − p → K − ω p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . In the π + ω case apeak is observed at 1.23 GeV (the B meson), while the K − ω mass distribution has a threshold enhancement. The cross section of the low mass (<2.0 GeV) π + ω system falls as p lab −2 , while that of the low mass (<2.0 GeV) K − ω system is almost constant with energy, indicating diffractive production of the K − ω system, but not of the πω system. Using a modified version of the Illinois partial-wave analysis program, it is found that the K − ω system is dominantly produced in the J P = 1 + state with small contributions of 0 − and 2 + , mainly by natural parity exchange - as is found for reactions such as K − p → (K − π + π − )p which are predominantly diffractive. For the π + ω system in the B mass region, J P = 1 + states, produced mainly by natural parity exchange are found; the contributions of 0 − P, 1 − P, 2 − P and 2 + D are consistent with zero. The 1 + D state occurs in the π + ω case but not in the K − ω system, nor in the K ππ − system produced in the K − p → K ππ p reaction.

A partial-wave analysis of the (K ππ ) 0 system produced in the charge exchange reaction K − p →( K 0 π + π − ) n has been made in the mass range 1.04 ⩽ M (K ππ ) < 1.56 GeV c data at 8, 10 and 16 GeV/ c . It was found that in about 2 3 of the cases, the (K ππ ) 0 system is produced in states of unnatural spin-parity, namely J P = 0 − and 1 + ; the rest is in the natural spin-parity state J P = 2 + state is consistent with being all K ∗ (1420). The unnatural spin-parity states are produced mostly (∼ 80% of the events) by natural parity exchange. The facts that unnatural spin-parity states are produced in this non-diffractive channel, with J P = 1 + dominant, and that the exchange responsible for their production is mostly of natural parity, are similar to what was found for the charged (K ππ ) − system in the diffractive reaction K − p→(K ππ ) − p. However, the absolute value and the energy dependence of the cross sections are very different in the two cases.

A study is presented of the reactions K + p→(K + ω )p at 8.25 and 16 GeV/ c and K − p→(K − ω )p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c and comparison is made with K + results at 10 GeV/ c and K − at 7.3 GeV/ c . The (K + ω) and (K − ω) mass spectra both present a strong enhancement very near threshold, while a second peak at ∼1.7 GeV is evident only with incident K − at the lower energies. The threshold peak has very weak energy dependence and is mostly due to the 1 + S state which is produced conserving s -channel helicity. It is suggested that this is another decay mode of the resonance Q 1 (1290) known to decay mainly into Kϱ. The ratio of the Q 1 coupling constants to the Kω and Kϱ decay channels, R ω = g K ω 2 / g K ϱ 2 is determined to be 0.21±0.04. The enhancement at 1.7 GeV is predominantly, but not exclusively, due to the 2 − state. While the K + and K − induced reactions give basically similar results, small differences are observed that can be qualitatively explained in the framework of the Deck model.