Meson Production at COSY-TOF and COSY-ANKE

The roles of the COSY-TOF and COSY-ANKE spectrometers in the measurement of strange meson production are briefly reviewed, mainly in connection with new results on the pp -> K^+ p Lambda, pp -> K^+ p Sigma^0 and pp -> K^+ n Sigma^+ reactions.Comment: Invited talk at the MESON2010 conference in Krakow, June 201

Associated strangeness production in the pp to pK^+K^-p and pp to pK^+ pi^0 Sigma^0 reactions

The total and differential cross sections for associated strangeness production in the $pp \to pK^+K^-p$ and $pp \to pK^+\pi^0\Sigma^0$ reactions have been studied in a unified approach using an effective Lagrangian model. It is assumed that both the $K^-p$ and $\pi^0\Sigma^0$ final states originate from the decay of the $\Lambda(1405)$ resonance which was formed in the production chain $pp\to p(N^*(1535)\to K^+\Lambda(1405))$. The available experimental data are well reproduced, especially the ratio of the two total cross sections, which is much less sensitive to the particular model of the entrance channel. The significant coupling of the $N^*(1535)$ resonance to $\Lambda(1405) K$ is further evidence for large $s \bar{s}$ components in the quark wave function of the $N^*(1535)$ resonance.Comment: Published in Phys. Rev.

COSY-11 : How will we remember it ?

A personal selection is made of the highlights of the COSY-11 physics program undertaken at the COoler SYnchrotron of the Forschungszentrum Juelich. This has been particularly rich in the field of strange and non-strange meson production in proton-proton and proton-deuteron collisions. The results are considered in relation to experiments carried out at other facilities and with respect to their impact on theory.Comment: Invited talk at the "Symposium on Meson Physics at COSY--11", Cracow, June 2007. 14 pages + 12 eps figures. AIP conference styl

Determination of the η3He\boldsymbol{\eta ^3{\rm He}} threshold structure from the low energy pd→η3He\boldsymbol{pd \to \eta ^3{\rm He}} reaction

We analyze the data on cross sections and asymmetries for the $pd (dp) \to \eta ^3{\rm He}$ reaction close to threshold and look for bound states of the $\eta ^3 {\rm He}$ system. Rather than parameterizing the scattering matrix, as is usually done, we develop a framework in which the $\eta ^3 {\rm He}$ optical potential is the key ingredient, and its strength, together with some production parameters, are fitted to the available experimental data. The relationship of the scattering matrix to the optical potential is established using the Bethe-Salpeter equation and the $\eta ^3 {\rm He}$ loop function incorporates the range of the interaction given by the empirical $^3 {\rm He}$ density. We find a local Breit Wigner form of the $\eta^3$He amplitude $T$ below threshold with a clear peak in $|T|^2$, which corresponds to an $\eta^3 {\rm He}$ binding of about 0.3 MeV and a width of about 3 MeV. By fitting the potential we can also evaluate the $\eta ^3 {\rm He}$ scattering length, including its sign, thus resolving the ambiguity in the former analyses.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures. Title slightly changed, more considerations adde

Production of isoscalar pion pairs in the pd -> 3He pi pi reaction near threshold

The production near threshold of isoscalar pion pairs in the pd -> 3He(pi pi)^0 reaction is estimated in a two-step model which successfully describes the production of eta, omega and eta' mesons. A virtual pion beam, generated through an NN -> d pi reaction on one of the nucleons in the deuteron, produces a second pion via a pi N -> pi pi N reaction on the other nucleon. Using the same scale factor as for heavy meson production, the model reproduces the total pi^0 pi^0 production rate determined at an excess energy of 37 MeV. There are some indications in the data for a suppression of events with low pi pi masses, as in the pi^- p -> pi^0 pi^0 n reaction, and this is confirmed within the model. The model suggests that a significant fraction of the charged pion production in the p d -> 3He pi^+ pi^- reaction at Q=70 MeV might be associated with isoscalar pion pairs, though this does not explain the strong dependence observed on the pi^+ pi^- relative momentum angle.Comment: 13 pages including 4 eps figure