Search for Baryon-Exchange Production of Strange Exotic Mesons

Results are presented of a search for strange, doubly charged, narrow [full width at half maximum <=0.2 (GeV/c²)²] meson states produced in the baryon-exchange reaction π⁺p-->Λ_f⁰S⁺⁺ at 9.8 GeV/c. No evidence is found for such states. The 95%-confidence-level limit for the production cross section is < 20 nb for M(S⁺⁺)<=2 GeV/c². Limits on σB from a kinematic reconstruction of final states with S⁺⁺-->K⁺π⁺ are <= 10 nb for M(K⁺π⁺)<=2.0 GeV/c².