The Reaction $pp\to pp\varphi$ and the Validity of the OZI Rule

Abstract

The reaction $pp\to pp\varphi$ is investigated within a relativistic meson-exchange model of hadronic interactions. The possibility of extracting the $NN\varphi$ coupling constant from a study of this process is explored. A combined analysis of $\omega -$ and $\varphi$-meson production in proton-proton collisions utilizing recent data on these reactions is carried out and yields values for $g_{NN\varphi }$ that are compatible with the OZI rule.

Comments: 5 pages, 2 figres, Presented at the Baryon98 conference, Bonn, September 1998