Production of y* resonances by low energy k(^-) mesons

Abstract

This thesis is a preliminary account of work carried out to examine the characteristics of the isospin I=1 and I=0 channels K(^-)p→Ʌ π and K(^-)p→Σ π •» at primary momenta between150 and 480 Mev/c. The experiment used the British National Hydrogen Bubble Chamber at the Rutherford Laboratory with a Track Sensitive Target configuration, which provided gamma ray detection. Two approaches are adopted to separate these normally ambiguous channels. The first is a statistical separation of the kind used by previous workers, the second uses the gamma ray detection of the Track Sensitive Target to resolve these two channels directly. The results of the two methods are compared and are in good agreement. The presence of the Ʌ (1520) is clearly demonstrated in the determination of the branching ratio of K(^-)p→Ʌ π to K(^-)p→Ʌ + neutrals, as a function of momentum, and in the angular distribution of the Σ in the K(^p) centre of mass system. There is no evidence for the Σ (1480) resonance.