Near-threshold production of a0(980) mesons in the reaction pp -> d K^+ \bar{K}^0

Using an effective Lagrangian approach as well as the Quark-Gluon Strings Model we analyze near-threshold production of a0(980)-mesons in the reaction NN -> d K \bar{K} as well as the background of non-resonant K\bar{K}-pair production. We argue that the reaction pp -> d K^+ \bar{K}^0 at an energy release Q<=100 MeV is dominated by the intermediate production of the a0(980)-resonance. At larger energies the non-resonant K^+\bar{K}^0-pair production - where the kaons are produced in a relative P-wave - becomes important. Then effects of final-state interactions are evaluated in a unitarized scattering-length approach and found to be in the order of a 20% suppression close to threshold. Thus in present experiments at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY-J\"ulich for Q<=107 MeV the a_0^+ signal can reliably be separated from the non-resonant K^+\bar{K^0} background.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, submitted to EPJ

a0(980)-f0(980) mixing and isospin violation in the reactions pN -> d a0, pd -> 3He/3H a0 and dd -> 4He a0

It is demonstrated that f_0-a_0 mixing can lead to a comparatively large isospin violation in the reactions pN -> da_0, pd -> ^3He/^3H a_0 and dd -> ^4He a_0 close to the corresponding production thresholds. The observation of such mixing effects is possible, e.g., by measuring the forward-backward asymmetry in the reaction pn -> d a_0^0 -> d eta pi^0.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Production of a0a_0-mesons in the reactions πN→a0N\pi N \to a_0 N and pp→da0+p p \to d a_0^+ at GeV energies

We investigate the reactions $\pi N \to a_0 N$ and $p p \to d a_0^+$ near threshold and at medium energies. An effective Lagragian approach and the Regge pole model are applied to analyze different contributions to the cross section of the reaction $\pi N \to a_0 N$. These results are used to calculate the differential and total cross sections of the reaction $p p \to d a_0^+$ within the framework of the two-step model in which two nucleons produce an $a_0$-meson via $\pi$ -meson exchange and fuse to a deuteron. The necessity of new measurements on $a_0$ production and branching fractions (of its decay to the $K\bar K$ and $\pi\eta$ channels) is emphasized for clarifying the $a_0$ structure. Detailed predictions for the reaction $pp \to d a_0^+$ are presented for the energy regime of the proton synchrotron COSY-J\"ulich.Comment: 9 pages, including 6 eps figure