K*(892)$^+$ production in proton-proton collisions at $E_{beam}=$ 3.5 GeV

• Main Author: HADES collaboration (98 authors)
• Publication Date: 2015
• Other Authors: Blanco, A., Fonte, P., Lopes, L., Mangiarotti, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.92.024903; http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/26841

We present results on the K*(892)+ production in proton-proton collisions at a beam energy of E=3.5 GeV, which is hitherto the lowest energy at which this mesonic resonance has been observed in nucleon-nucleon reactions. The data are interpreted within a two-channel model that includes the three-body production of K*(892)+ associated with the Λ or Σ hyperon. The relative contributions of both channels are estimated. Besides the total cross section σ(p+p→K*(892)++X)=9.5±0.9−0.9+1.1±0.7μb, which adds a new data point to the excitation function of the K*(892)+ production in the region of low excess energy, transverse momenta and angular spectra are extracted and compared with the predictions of the two-channel model. The spin characteristics of K*(892)+ are discussed as well in terms of the spin-alignment.