Cross-section values or upper limits are presented for twenty-five two-body hypercharge-exchange reactions in K − p and π + p interactions at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . The 16 GeV/ c results are compared with some predictions of line-reversal plus exchange-degenerate Regge poles, of SU(3) and of the additive quark model. Agreement is found in all cases.

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.

An enhancement in the (K − π + ) mass distribution at 1871 ± 10 MeV with full width of 285 ± 40 MeV is observed in the charge-exchange reaction K − p → K − π + n at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . The energy dependence of its cross section, the shape of the differential cross section d σ /d t and the decay angular distributions are consistent with a production mechanism by pion exchange. No significant enhancement at the same mass is seen in the non-charge exchange reaction K − p → (K π ) − p. The experimental evidence is reviewed and it is suggested that there may be more than one K ∗ enhancement in the 1700–1900 mass region.

We have performed a partial-wave analysis of the mainly diffractively produced low-mass (K ππ ) system in the reactions K − p → K − π + π − p and K − p → K 0 π − π 0 p at 10, 14 and 16 GeV /c . We find that the dominant 1 + S ( K ∗ π ) state has possibly a two-peak structure (around 1.27 and 1.37 GeV). In contrast the 1 + S(K ϱ ) state shows one narrow peak near thershold (around 1.27 GeV). These states are found to be of different origin. The results favour the interpretation of the 1 + S(K ϱ ) as a 1 + resonance below the (K ϱ ) threshold. The t ′ pp dependence is found to be different for the 1 + and 0 − states.

A partial-wave analysis has been performed of the diffractively produced low-mass ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) system in the reaction K − p → ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . Thus information complementary to that derived from the K − p → (K − π + π − )p) channel is obtained. The presence of the K ϱ decay mode, besides the dominant K ∗ (890)π mode, for the state J P = 1 + , is confirmed. It is also confirmed that for this 1 + state the assumption of factorization of the amplitude into “production” and “decay” does not hold: the two decay modes K ∗ π and K ϱ have different polarisation properties (helicity is approximately conserved in the t -channel for the first, in the s -channel for the second). The assumption that the ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) system has isospin I = 1 2 has been tested and found to hold. From the cross sections for the various J P states, assuming I = 1 2 , the cross sections for the (K − π + π − ) system are predicted and compared with the experimental ones. In general, agreement is found.

A partial-wave analysis has been performed on the (K − π − π + ) system produced in the reaction K − p → K − π − π + p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . In the Q mass region it is found that the two dominant states, K ∗ π and Kπ, both in 1 + S wave, are produced with different polarisations, helicity being approximately conserved in the t -channel for K ∗ π and in the s -channel for Kπ. This is in contradiction with the assumption that the amplitude can be factorised into “production” and “decay” parts, and hence that the two amplitudes are fully coherent. The phase variation of the two states do not indicate simple resonance behaviour. It is concluded that the Q-mass enhancement is composite.

The $e^+e^-\to K^+K^-$ cross section and charged-kaon electromagnetic form factor are measured in the $e^+e^-$ center-of-mass energy range ($E$) from 2.6 to 8.0 GeV using the initial-state radiation technique with an undetected photon. The study is performed using 469 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II $e^+e^-$ collider at center-of-mass energies near 10.6 GeV. The form factor is found to decrease with energy faster than $1/E^2$, and approaches the asymptotic QCD prediction. Production of the $K^+K^-$ final state through the $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2S)$ intermediate states is observed. The results for the kaon form factor are used together with data from other experiments to perform a model-independent determination of the relative phases between single-photon and strong amplitudes in $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2S)\to K^+K^-$ decays. The values of the branching fractions measured in the reaction $e^+e^- \to K^+K^-$ are shifted relative to their true values due to interference between resonant and nonresonant amplitudes. The values of these shifts are determined to be about $\pm5\%$ for the $J/\psi$ meson and $\pm15\%$ for the $\psi(2S)$ meson.

We present a measurement of the cross section of the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+pi^-\psi(2S)$ from threshold up to 8 GeV center-of-mass energy using events containing initial-state radiation, produced at the PEP-II $e^+e^-$ storage rings. The study is based on 298 fb$^{-1}$ of data recorded with the BaBar detector. A structure is observed in the cross-section not far above threshold, near 4.32 GeV. We also investigate the compatibility of this structure with the Y(4260) previously reported by this experiment.