Inelastic K+p reactions at incident momenta from 1.37 GeV/c to 2.17 GeV/c

<p>A number of recent experiments have suggested the possibility of a highly inelastic resonance in Kp>+p>p scattering. To study the inelastic Kp>+p>p reactions, a 400 K exposure has been taken at the L.R.L. 25 inch bubble chamber. The data are spread over seven Kp>+p> momenta between 1.37 and 2.17 GeV/c.p> <p>Cross-sections have been measured for the reaction Kp>+p>p → pK°π+ which is dominated by the quasi-two body channels K∆ and K*N. Both these channels are strongly peripheral, as at other momenta. The decay of the ∆ is in good agreement with the predictions of the rho-photon analogy of Stodolsky and Sakurai. The data on the K*p channel show evidence of both pseudo scalar and vector exchange.p> <p>Cross-sections for the final state pKp>+p>π+π- shows a strong contribution from the quasi-two body channel K*∆. This reaction is also very peripheral even at threshold. The decay angular distributions indicate the reaction is dominated as at higher momenta by a pion exchange mechanism. The data are also in good agreement with the quark model predictions of Bialas and Zalewski for the K* and ∆ decay.p>