Partial-wave analysis of the (KKK) system in the reaction K−p→K−K−K+p at 10 and 16 GeV/c

Abstract The reaction K − p→K − K − K + p is shown to have properties similar to those of the diffractive reaction K − p→K − π − π + p. This is true, at least in first approximation, for (a) the energy dependence of the cross sections, (b) the shape of the three meson spectra and (c) the differential cross sections d σ /d t pp which have the same slope for the same mass of the three-meson system. Furthermore, the partial-wave composition of the (KKK) system is similar to that of the (K ππ ) system, both systems being produced mostly in unnatural spin-parity states by natural parity exchange. In the KKK system, the J P = 1 + state with S-wave decay into Ko(1020) is dominant, (72 ± 11) % of all events with (KKK) masses below 2 GeV.