Cross sections for inelastic $K$+$\varphi$ scattering

Abstract

In the first Born approximation we study the reactions $K\varphi \to \pi K$, $\rho K$, $\pi K^{\ast }$, and $\rho K^{\ast }$ with quark-antiquark annihilation and creation. Transition amplitudes are derived with the development in spherical harmonics of the relative-motion wave functions of the two initial mesons and of the two final mesons so that parity is conserved and the total angular momentum of the final mesons equals the one of the initial mesons. Unpolarized cross sections are calculated from the transition amplitudes that also contain mesonic quark-antiquark relative-motion wave functions and transition potentials for quark-antiquark annihilation and creation. Notable temperature dependence of the cross sections is shown. While the cross sections for $K\varphi \to \rho K$, $K\varphi \to \pi K^{\ast }$, and $K\varphi \to \rho K^{\ast }$ may be of the millibarn scale, the cross section for $K\varphi \to \pi K$ is very small.

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