Absorption-Model Analysis ofKN→K*(890)NReactions

The absorptive peripheral model using a mixture of pion and vector-meson exchange is used to analyze data on $K^{\pm }p\to K^{*\pm }\mathrm{}\left(890\right)p$ at momenta $\simeq 3 \frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}$. The vector-meson exchange couplings are obtained phenomenologically by fitting the experimental data. Good fits are obtained; in particular, evidence is found for an interference effect between pion and vector-meson exchange which causes differences between $K^{*+}$ and $K^{*-}$ reactions. The production of neutral $K^{*}$ is discussed, and an attempt is made to separate the $I=0\mathrm{}$ and $I=1\mathrm{}$ vector-meson exchanges. Some predictions of the model for higher energies are presented, which suggest that the known energy-dependence difficulties of vector-meson exchange will make our method inapplicable. Evidence for the interference effect in other reactions is suggested, and experimental tests are proposed.