The reaction K+p → K0pπ+ at 3 GeV/c

The reaction K+p → K0pπ+ has been studied at 3.0 GeV/c. The two dominant reactions in this final state are K+p → K*p, K* →c K0π+ and K+p →N*K0,N* → pπ+ accounting each for (38±3)% of the events and corresponding to a cross-section of (0.8±0.1) mb. The production angular distributions for both K* andN* are suggestive of a peripheral mechanism of production. Within the framework of a simple one-mesonexchange model, the decay angular distributions for K* are consistent with the assumption that these events are predominantly produced by the exchange of a vector meson with only (7±6)% of the events being produced by the exchange of a pion. TheN* decay distributions agree with the prediction of the model of Stodolsky and Sakurai. For both K* andN*, a form factor of the type exp [-δ2/t2], witht equal to about 0.6 GeV/c, is needed to fit the very sharply peaked production distributions. A modified one-meson-exchange model, taking into account absorption effects due to competing processes, derived by Gottfried, Jackson and Svensson, gives a reasonable account of the production angular distribution and of the decay correlations for both K* andN*.