Mechanisms of production of resonances in four-particle final states in K/sup -/p interactions at 32 GeV/c

In a study of four-particle exclusive reactions in K/sup -/p interactions at 32 GeV/c it is shown that the final state K/sup -/p..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/ is formed mainly in processes of three-particle diffraction dissociation of the primary K/sup -/ meson and the proton, while the final states K/sup -/pK/sup +/K/sup -/ and K/sup -/ppp-bar are formed to a high degree as the result of diffraction of only the primary K/sup -/ meson. The decay of these diffraction-excited systems is the main source of the resonances K-bar*/sup 0/ (892), rho/sup 0/ (770), ..delta../sup + +/ (1238), and ..delta../sup 0/ (1238). From analysis of the angular characteristics of the decay of diffraction systems for the reaction K/sup -/p..-->..K/sup -/p..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/ an indication is obtained of the preferential conservation of helicity in the T-channel in comparison with the S-channel, which is especially noticeable in the region associated with the production of the resonances Q/sup -//sub 2/ (1420) and N* (1710). An analysis is made of the decay characteristics of K-bar*/sup 0/(892) and ..delta../sup + +/(1238) in terms of the spin density matrix.