Kaon-nucleus inelastic scattering

A theoretical investigation of kaon inelastic scattering is conducted for the specific reaction ${}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}(K^{+}, K^{+\prime }){}_{}{}^{12}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}_{}^{*}{}_{}{}^{}$ ($J^{\pi }=2^{+}$, $E_x=4.43\mathrm{}$ MeV). The analysis utilizes the Kerman-McManus-Thaler multiple scattering formalism and the distorted wave impulse approximation. The distorting parameters are uniquely determined through the empirical $K^{+}$-nucleon scattering amplitudes. Numerical results demonstrate a clear sensitivity to choice of amplitudes. The cross sections, calculated over a wide range of energies, display a slow variation. Fermi motion effects are found to be quite important at kaon lab kinetic energies below 300 MeV. The magnitude of the $K^{+}$-nucleus elastic $S$ matrix shows that the kaon is not strongly absorbed; however, cutoff calculations, which eliminate all internal form factor contributions, firmly establish the inelastic process is surface localized.