Production of proton-antiproton and kaon-antikaon pairs in four-body reactions of 8 GeV/c π+ and 10 GeV/c K - on protons

The production of ( poverlinep), ( K⁺K^-) and (π ⁺π ^-) pairs in four-body reactions of 8 GeV/ cπ⁺ and 10 GeV/ c K ^- on protons has been studied. The cross sections for these processes are smaller in K ^-p interactions than in π⁺p interactions. For both π⁺ and K ^- induced reactions, the production of a K ⁺K ^- pair is about 30 times less probable than that of a π⁺π^- pair. In K ^-p interactions frequent production of φ but not of f ^o is observed, whereas in π⁺p interactions f ^o production is observed but not φ production. The production of the N ^∗(3755) isobar decaying into ( pp overlinep), reported by other authors, is not confirmed. The results are discussed in terms of a simple additive quark model.