A. Polyanskiy

Measurement of the in-medium phi-meson width in proton-nucleus collisions

The production of φ mesons in the collisions of 2.83 GeV protons with C, Cu, Ag, and Au at forward angles has been measured via the φ → KK decay using the COSY-ANKE magnetic spectrometer. The φ meson production cross section follows a target mass dependence of A in the momentum region of 0.6–1.6 GeV/c. The comparison of the data with model calculations suggests that the in-medium φ width is about an order of magnitude larger than its free value.

Production of K⁺K⁻ pairs in proton-proton collisions below the Φ meson threshold

The pp→ppK⁺K⁻ reaction was measured below the Φ threshold at a beam energy of 2.568 GeV using the COSY-ANKE magnetic spectrometer. By assuming that the four-body phase space is distorted only by the product of two-body final-state interactions, fits to a variety of one-dimensional distributions permit the evaluation of differential and total cross sections. The shapes of the distributions in the Kp and Kpp invariant masses are reproduced only if the K⁻p interaction is even stronger than that found at higher energy. The cusp effect in the K⁺K⁻ distribution at the K⁰K¯¯¯⁰ threshold is much more clear and some evidence is also found for coupling between the K⁻p and K¯¯¯⁰n channels. However, the energy dependence of the total cross section cannot be reproduced by considering only a simple product of such pairwise final-state interactions.

Momentum dependence of the phi-meson nuclear transparency

The production of phi mesons in proton collisions with C, Cu, Ag, and Au targets has been studied via the phi -> K+K- decay at an incident beam energy of 2.83 GeV using the ANKE detector system at COSY. For the first time, the momentum dependence of the nuclear transparency ratio, the in-medium phi width, and the differential cross section for phi meson production at forward angles have been determined for these targets over the momentum range of 0.6 - 1.6 GeV/c. There are indications of a significant momentum dependence in the value of the extracted phi width, which corresponds to an effective phi-N absorption cross section in the range of 14 - 21 mb.

Production of K⁺K⁻ pairs in proton-proton collisions at 2.83 GeV

Differential and total cross sections for the pp→ppK⁺K⁻ reaction have been measured at a proton beam energy of 2.83 GeV using the COSY-ANKE magnetic spectrometer. Detailed model descriptions fitted to a variety of one-dimensional distributions permit the separation of the pp→ppφ cross section from that of non-φ production. The differential spectra show that higher partial waves represent the majority of the pp→ppφ total cross section at an excess energy of 76 MeV, whose energy dependence would then seem to require some s-wave φp enhancement near threshold. The non-φ data can be described in terms of the combined effects of two-body final state interactions using the same effective scattering parameters determined from lower energy data.

Kaon pair production in proton-nucleus collisions at 2.83 GeV kinetic energy

The production of non-phi K+K- pairs by protons of 2.83 GeV kinetic energy on C, Cu, Ag, and Au targets has been investigated using the COSY-ANKE magnetic spectrometer. The K- momentum dependence of the differential cross section has been measured at small angles over the 0.2--0.9 GeV/c range. The comparison of the data with detailed model calculations indicates an attractive K- -nucleus potential of about -60 MeV at normal nuclear matter density at a mean momentum of 0.5 GeV/c. However, this approach has difficulty in reproducing the smallness of the observed cross sections at low K- momenta.

Measurement of spin observables in the quasifree np→{pp}_{s}π^{−} reaction at 353 MeV

The transverse spin correlations A_{x,x} and A_{y,y} have been measured in the pol{d} pol{p} -> p_spec {pp}_s pi- reaction at COSY-ANKE at 353 MeV per nucleon. Here {pp}_s denotes a proton-proton pair with low excitation energy, which is dominantly in the 1S0 state. By measuring three protons in the final state it was possible to extract events where there was a spectator proton p_spec so that the reaction could be interpreted in terms of quasi-free pol{n} pol{p} -> {pp}_s pi-. The proton analyzing power in this reaction was also deduced from this data set by averaging over the polarization of the deuteron beam. The values of A_y^p were shown to be consistent with a refined analysis of our earlier results obtained with a polarized proton incident on a deuterium target. Taking these data in combination with our earlier measurements of the differential cross sections and analyzing powers in the pol{p} p -> {pp}_s pi^0 reaction, a more robust partial wave decomposition was achieved. Three different acceptable solutions were found and the only way of resolving this ambiguity without further theoretical input would be through a measurement of the mixed spin-correlation parameter A_{x,z}.

φ-meson production and the in-medium φ-width in proton-nucleus collisions

The production of φ-mesons in collisions of 2.83 GeV protons with C, Cu, Al, and Au targets has been measured with the ANKE magnetic spectrometer at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY. The φ-mesons were detected at small angles via their K+K− decay. The measured target mass dependence of the production cross section can be related to the in-medium φ width. First comparisons with model calculations suggest a significant broadening of the φ-width relative to its vacuum value of 4.3 MeV/c2.

Comparison of inclusive K+ production in proton-proton and proton-neutron collisions

The momentum spectra of K+ produced at small angles in proton-proton and proton-deuteron collisions have been measured at four beam energies, 1.826, 1.920, 2.020, and 2.650 GeV, using the ANKE spectrometer at COSY-Juelich. After making corrections for Fermi motion and shadowing, the data indicate that K+ production near threshold is stronger in pp- than in pn-induced reactions. However, most of this difference could be made up by the unobserved K0 production in the pn case.

Kaon pair production in pp, pd and dd collisions at COSY

The near‐threshold production of kaon‐pairs has been investigated in proton‐proton, proton‐deuteron and deuteron‐deuteron collisions at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY. The excitation function for the pp→ppK+K− reaction and the invariant K−p, K−pp, and K+K− mass distributions indicate the presence of both K−p and K+K− final state interactions. Analogous final‐state interactions of antikaons with deuterons has been found in the pp→dK+K0 reaction as well as in the pn→dK+K− reaction, measured in the quasi‐free pd→pspdK+K− process with a “spectator” proton (psp). The existing COSY data on the pd→3HeK+K− reaction are not yet sufficient to study the K−3He and K+K− final state interactions. A very small total cross section was found for the dd→4HeK+K− reaction.

Measurement of spin observables in the quasifreenp→{pp}sπ−reaction at 353 MeV

The transverse spin correlations A_{x,x} and A_{y,y} have been measured in the pol{d} pol{p} -> p_spec {pp}_s pi- reaction at COSY-ANKE at 353 MeV per nucleon. Here {pp}_s denotes a proton-proton pair with low excitation energy, which is dominantly in the 1S0 state. By measuring three protons in the final state it was possible to extract events where there was a spectator proton p_spec so that the reaction could be interpreted in terms of quasi-free pol{n} pol{p} -> {pp}_s pi-. The proton analyzing power in this reaction was also deduced from this data set by averaging over the polarization of the deuteron beam. The values of A_y^p were shown to be consistent with a refined analysis of our earlier results obtained with a polarized proton incident on a deuterium target. Taking these data in combination with our earlier measurements of the differential cross sections and analyzing powers in the pol{p} p -> {pp}_s pi^0 reaction, a more robust partial wave decomposition was achieved. Three different acceptable solutions were found and the only way of resolving this ambiguity without further theoretical input would be through a measurement of the mixed spin-correlation parameter A_{x,z}.