K+p elastic scattering at 7.3 GeV/c

Abstract A study of K + p elastic scattering at 7.3 GeV/ c has yielded a cross section of 3.86 ± 0.38 mb. For events produced in the forward direction, a diffractive peak is observed which fits the distribution (d σ /d t ) = (d σ /d t ) 0 exp ( αt + βt 2 ) with (d σ /d t ) 0 = (20.6 + 2.6) mb/(GeV/ c 2 , α = (5.46 ±_0.29)(GeV/ c ) -2 an β = (0.38 ± 0.25)(GeV/ c ) -4 . The ratio |Re ƒ(0)/Im ƒ (0)| for the forward scattering amplitude is 0.60 ± 0.14. One elastic scatter was found in the backward direction.