Reaction K/sup -/p. -->. K-bar/sup 0/p. pi. /sup -/ at 6. 5 GeV/c

Data from the ANL 12-foot bubble chamber have been used to study the K-bar/sup 0/..pi../sup -/ system in the reaction K/sup -/p..-->..K-bar/sup 0/p..pi../sup -/ 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 ..mu..b, respectively. The partial waves contributing to the production of the K-bar/sup 0/..pi../sup -/ 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/sup +/ s-wave enhancement, with considerable s-d and s-p interference, centered at 1.2 GeV, and (iv) the m=2 amplitudes are negligible.