Production of \phi Mesons in Near-Threshold \pi N and N N Reactions

Abstract

We analyze the production of $\varphi$ mesons in $\pi N$ and NN reactions in the near-threshold region, using throughout the conventional ``non-strange'' dynamics based on such processes which are allowed by the non-ideal $\omega -\varphi$ mixing. We show that the occurrence of the direct $\varphi NN$ interaction may show up in different unpolarized and polarization observables in $\pi N\to N\varphi$ reactions. We find a strong non-trivial difference between observables in the reactions $pp\to pp\varphi$ and $pn\to pn\varphi$ caused by the different role of the spin singlet and triplet states in the entrance channel. A series of predictions for the experimental study of this effect is presented.

Comments: 35 pages including 18 figures