Recent results from experiment 859 at the BNL AGS

Abstract This paper presents recent results from Experiment 859 at the BNL AGS, focussing on strangeness ( K ± , Λ, Λ ), rare probes ( p , φ) and two-particle correlations. Highlights of the paper include an analysis of the centrality dependence of K ± yields in terms of the number of participants, a brief review of the current status of the E859 Λ and Λ data, an analysis of the target dependence of p yields in terms of p K − ratio's, results of a re-analysis of Λ feed-down contamination of p 's, a comparison of the cenal SiAu and pp φ yields through the φ K − ratio, an extremely preliminary study of the centrality dependence of the φ line-shape, a summary of the centrality dependence of two-π correlation source sizes, and a comparison of results from two-dimensional analyses of the two-π and two-K + correlation functions.