Non-resonant kaon pair production and medium effects in proton-nucleus collisions

We study the non-resonant (non-$\phi$) production of $K^+K^-$ pairs by protons of 2.83 GeV kinetic energy on C, Cu, Ag, and Au targets within the collision model, based on the nuclear spectral function, for incoherent primary proton--nucleon and secondary pion--nucleon creation processes. The model takes into account the initial proton and final kaon absorption, target nucleon binding and Fermi motion as well as nuclear mean-field potential effects on these processes. We calculate the antikaon momentum dependences of the exclusive absolute and relative $K^+K^-$ pair yields in the acceptance window of the ANKE magnetic spectrometer, used in a recent experiment performed at COSY, within the different scenarios for the antikaon-nucleus optical potential. We demonstrate that the above observables are strongly sensitive to this potential. Therefore, they can be useful to help determine the $K^-$ optical potential from the direct comparison of the results of our calculations with the data from the respective ANKE-at-COSY experiment. We also show that the pion--nucleon production channels dominate in the low-momentum $K^-$, $K^+$ production in the considered kinematics and, hence, they have to be accounted for in the analysis of these data.Comment: 19 page

Medium effects in ΛK+{\Lambda}K^+ pair production by 2.83 GeV protons on nuclei

We study ${\Lambda}K^+$ pair production in the interaction of protons of 2.83 GeV kinetic energy with C, Cu, Ag, and Au target nuclei in the framework of the nuclear spectral function approach for incoherent primary proton--nucleon and secondary pion--nucleon production processes, and processes associated with the creation of intermediate ${\Sigma^0}K^+$ pairs. The approach accounts for the initial proton and final $\Lambda$ hyperon absorption, final $K^+$ meson distortion in nuclei, target nucleon binding, and Fermi motion, as well as nuclear mean-field potential effects on these processes. We calculate the $\Lambda$ momentum dependence of the absolute ${\Lambda}K^+$ yield from the target nuclei considered, in the kinematical conditions of the ANKE experiment, performed at COSY, within the different scenarios for the $\Lambda$-nucleus effective scalar potential. We show that the above observable is appreciably sensitive to this potential in the low-momentum region. Therefore, direct comparison of the results of our calculations with the data from the ANKE-at-COSY experiment can help to determine the above potential at finite momenta. We also demonstrate that the two-step pion--nucleon production channels dominate in the low-momentum ${\Lambda}K^+$ production in the chosen kinematics and, therefore, they have to be taken into account in the analysis of these data.Comment: 29 page

Light scattering by optically anisotropic scatterers II: T--matrix computations for radially and uniformly anisotropic droplets

This is the second paper in a series on light scattering from optically anisotropic scatterers embedded in an isotropic medium. The apparently complex T-matrix theory involving mixing of angular momentum components turns out to be an efficient approach to calculating scattering in these systems. We present preliminary results of numerical calculations of the scattering by spherical droplets in some simple cases. The droplets contain optically anisotropic material with local radial or uniform anisotropy. We concentrate on cases in which the scattering is due only to the local optical anisotropy within the scatterer. For radial anisotropy we find non-monotonic dependence of the scattering cross-section on the degree of anisotropy can occur in a regime for which both the Rayleigh and semi-classical theories are inapplicable. For uniform anisotropy the cross-section is strongly dependent on the angle between the incident light and the optical axis, and for larger droplets this dependence is non-monotonic.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, uses RevTex

Subthreshold and near-threshold kaon and antikaon production in proton-nucleus reactions

The differential production cross sections of K^+ and K^- mesons have been measured at the ITEP proton synchrotron in p+Be, p+Cu collisions under lab angle of 10.5^0, respectively, at 1.7 and 2.25, 2.4 GeV beam energies. A detailed comparison of these data with the results of calculations within an appropriate folding model for incoherent primary proton-nucleon, secondary pion-nucleon kaon and antikaon production processes and processes associated with the creation of antikaons via the decay of intermediate phi mesons is given. We show that the strangeness exchange process YN->NNK^- gives a small contribution to the antikaon yield in the kinematics of the performed experiment. We argue that in the case when antikaon production processes are dominated by the channels with KK^- in the final state, the cross sections of the corresponding reactions are weakly influenced by the in-medium kaon and antikaon mean fields.Comment: 24 pages. accepted for publication at J.Phys.

Two-particle decays of B_c meson into charmonium states

The factorization of hard and soft contributions into the hadronic decays of B_c meson at large recoils is explored in order to evaluate the decay rates into the S, P and D-wave charmonia associated with rho and pi. The constraints of approach applicability and uncertainties of numerical estimates are discussed. The mode with the J/psi in the final state is evaluated taking into account the cascade radiative electromagnetic decays of excited P-wave states, that enlarges the branching ratio by 20-25%.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX axodraw-style, 1 figure, 2 table

Variational Lie algebroids and homological evolutionary vector fields

We define Lie algebroids over infinite jet spaces and establish their equivalent representation through homological evolutionary vector fields.Comment: Int. Workshop "Nonlinear Physics: Theory and Experiment VI" (Gallipoli, Italy; June-July 2010). Published v3 = v2 minus typos, to appear in: Theoret. and Mathem. Phys. (2011) Vol.167:3 (168:1), 18 page