K − p reactions have been studied at 13 different incident momenta between 1138 and 1434 MeV/ c . This interval corresponds to a mass of the K − p system varying from 1858 to 1993 MeV. About 300 000 photographs were taken in the 81 cm Saclay hydrogen bubble chamber exposed to a separated K − beam at the CERN proton-synchrotron. A total of about 44 000 events were analyzed, from which partial and differential cross sections were determined. Polarizations were obtained for the two-body reactions where the decay of the Λ or Σ hyperon allowed their measurement. Data for the two-body channels are presented here as well as for the main quasi-two-body reactions.

Topological and channel cross sections are given for the more common final states produced in K − p interactions at 8.25 GeV/ c together with the single particle inclusive cross sections. We present cross sections for prominent resonances occurring in final states K N (nπ) and find the resonance fractions to be roughly independent of multiplicity.

The reactions K ± p→K s 0 π ± p are studied at 30 and 50 GeV/ c . Data for these reactions were obtained using the Geneva-Lausanne spectrometer whose main characteristics are: (i) large forward acceptance; (ii) high-resolution time-of-flight for recoil proton momentum measurement; (iii) high data-taking rate and on-line pattern recognition. The K ∗ (1 − ), K ∗ (2 + ), K ∗ (3 − ) and K ∗ (4 + ) resonance parameters and production cross sections are determined. The K π production amplitudes are calculated both as a function of the K π mass and of the momentum transfer. Isoscalar natural parity exchange (NPE) is dominant. The NPE amplitudes are decomposed into pomeron- f-, ω-exchange contributions, and their energy dependence between 10 and 50 GeV/ c is shown to be well-described by a Regge pole model based on the f-dominated pomeron hypothesis.

Mesons decaying into π 0 or η and one charged meson were studied using a liquid-argon calorimeter in a non-magnetic double-arm spectrometer. Cross sections and energy dependences are presented. The ϱ ± production mechanisms are discussed in detail: ω and π exchange contribute the largest fractions, but also A 2 exchange is present. ϱ ± production by ω exchange is shown to follow the energy behaviour predicted by the Regge trajectory α ω ( t ) = 0.4 − | t |.

Data from the ANL 12-foot bubble chamber have been used to study the K¯0π− system in the reaction K−p→K¯0pπ− at 6.5 GeV/c. Signals for the production of K*(892), K*(1430), and K*(1780) were observed with cross sections of 181±22, 41.2±6, and 8.4±2.9 ≥b, respectively. The partial waves contributing to the production of the K¯0π− system from threshold up to 1.7 GeV were studied. The principal conclusions are: (i) K*(892) and K*(1430) production is dominated by natural-parity exchange, (ii) the ratio of unnatural- to natural-parity exchange increases with the resonance mass, consistent with the predictions of a triple-Regge model, (iii) there is evidence for a broad 0+ s-wave enhancement, with considerable s−d and s−p interference, centered at 1.2 GeV, and (iv) the m=2 amplitudes are negligible.

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.

We present extracted data for the pure I = 1 π 0 Λ (1520) channel from the reaction K − p → K − p π 0 at 11 incident momenta between 0.96 and 1.355 GeV/ c (1775 to 1960 MeV c.m. energy). A partial-wave analysis of this channel has been carried out over a broad c.m. energy range from 1710 to 2170 MeV using data at 27 momenta from this and earlier experiments. The 5 2 − Σ(1775) and built7 2 + Σ(2030) resonances are found to decay strongly to this channel. Amplitudes are also obtained for less dominant and less well-established resonances.

We present data for the single-pion production final states K 0 π − p, K − π 0 p and K − π + n from K − p interactions at 11 c.m. energies between 1775 and 1957 MeV. Using the K 0 π − p events the branching ratio (K s 0 → π + π − /K s 0 → all) has been determined to be 0.657 ± 0.011. New values have also been determined for the masses and widths of the K ∗0 (890) and the K ∗− (8990). These give a value of 1.5 ± 1.5 MeV for the electromagnetic mass splitting of the K ∗ . Differential cross sections and the spin-density matrix elements have been extracted for the reactions K − p → K ∗− p and K − p → K ∗0 n . An energy dependent partial-wave analysis of the K ∗ N channel from threshold up to 2170 MeV c.m. energy has been carried out yielding values for 17 resonant amplitudes for the expected Y ∗ 's and a new resonance, the S01(2030).

We present a systematic investigation of channel cross sections in K − p interactions at 32 GeV/ c . The energy dependence of these cross sections is discussed. We also investigate a few non-diffractive two-body reactions. The total cross sections of the two reactions K − p → K ∗− (890) p and K − p → K ∗− (1420) p have a markedly different energy behaviour. There is clear evidence for the reaction K − p → K ∗0 (890) N 0 (1688) ; its differnttial cross section exhibits a sharp forward slope of 24 ± 3 GeV −2 .

We compare production of the low mass K π -resonances by K + and K − beams in the non-charge-exchange reactions K ± p → K 0 s π ± p at 10 GeV/ c . High statistics data, obtained with the same apparatus, allow extraction of the K ∗ (890) and K ∗ (1420) production amplitudes corresponding to unnatural and natural parity exchange in the t -channel. The NPE-part dominates in both charge states. Its t -dependence shows a strong crossover at t ≈ −0.3 (GeV/ c ) 2 for the K ∗ (1420). For the K ∗ (890) the crossover is weaker but it occurs at the same value of t . This behaviour can be explained by pomeron, f and ω Regge exchange contributions to the NPE amplitude. The UPE amplitudes agree, both in normalisation and t -dependence, with the expectations of π and B exchange as isolated from data for the charge exchange reaction K − p → (K − π + )n.

High statistics data for the reactions K ± p → K S 0 π ± p at 10 GeV/ c are analysed. The K ∗ (1 − ), K ∗ (2 + ), and K ∗ (3 − ) resonance parameters and production cross sections are calculated. The Kπ production amplitudes are determined as a function of t and the produced Kπ mass. Isoscalar natural-parity-exchange (NPE) is dominant. The t dependence of the K ± NPE amplitudes have a cross-over at t = −0.3 (GeV/ c ) 2 for both K ∗ (890) and K ∗ (1420) production, being more pronounced for the K ∗ (1420). Natural-parity-exchange interference effects are isolated. The NPE amplitudes are decomposed into pomeron-, f-, and ω-exchange contributions. S-wave Kπ production is found to be consistent with the Kπ partial-wave analyses of charge-exchange reactions.

A two-arm spectrometer for simple event topologies is described. Its main characteristics are: (i) large solid-angle acceptance for the forward emitted particles, owing to the absence of magnetic-momentum analysis; (ii) high-resolution time-of-flight measurement of the recoil proton, in the momentum-transfer range 0.05 < | t | < 1 (GeV/ c ) 2 ; (iii) high data-taking rate and on-line pattern recognition.

The reaction K − p → X K − p has been measured at 25 and 40 GeV/ c at the Serpukhov accelerator using the CERN-IHEP boson spectrometer. At both energies we observe production of the resonances K ∗− (890) and K ∗− (1420) in the channels K ∗− → K 0 π − and K − π 0 ; the momentum dependence of their production cross sections is found to be σ[ K ∗− (890)] ∞ p inc −1.48±0.04 and σ [ K ∗− (1420)] ∞ p inc −0.8±0.2 .

The K π − system produced in the reaction K p → K 0 π − p at 4.2 GeV/ c is studied using high-statistics bubble-chamber data. The spin-parity structure is analysed as a function of the K 0 π − mass up to 1.52 GeV. Production of K ∗ (890) and K ∗ (1420) is observed in helicity-0 and helicity-1 states. Contributions of natural and unnatural parity exchange are present. Considerable S-wave production is observed over the whole mass region considered. We also study the t ′ dependence of the K ∗ (890) and K ∗ (1420) amplitudes. A comparison of our results on K ∗ (890) production with the results of an analysis of charge-exchange K ∗ (890) production, allows the separation of I = 0 and I = 1 exchange amplitudes. Some qualitative remarks are made concerning K ∗ (1420) production.

We present high-statistics data on differential cross sections and density matrix elements for K*±(890) production obtained in a 13-Gev/c SLAC experiment. The most remarkable features of the data are the dominance of natural-parity exchange and significant differences between K*+ and K*− production by natural-parity isoscalar exchange. We present two exchange models which successfully describe this difference, as well as the overall t dependence: model A including Pomeron plus strongly exchange-degenerate Regge poles and model B involving broken exchange degeneracy for the f and ω exchanges. These two phenomenological models lead to different predictions for the energy dependence of K*± production, for the relative K*(1420)K*(890) production rate, and for the SU(3)-related ρ± production processes.