A Partial Wave Analysis of the K⁺K^- System Produced in the Reaction π^-p → K⁺K^-n at 17.2 GeV/c using a Transversely Polarized Target

Abstract

The reaction π^-p → K⁺K^-n has been studied on hydrogen (27 000 events) at 18.4 GeV/c and on a transversely polarized butanol target (54 000 events) at 17.2 GeV/c. A combination of results of both experiments allows to obtain unique solutions for a partial wave analysis of the K⁺K^-system without any model assumptions. This analysis was performed at low four-momentum transfer 0.01 < |t| < 0.2 (GeV/c)² and in the mass range between 1.10 and 1.74 GeV. Using results of our previous analysis of π⁺π^- final states and assuming the dominance of the positive G-parity states in the K⁺K^- system, the branching ratios BR(KK/ππ) of partial waves S,P,D and F into KK and ππ are determined.