PRODUCTION OF O MESONS IN CENTRAL 28SI + 196AU COLLISIONS AT 14.6A GEV/C

Production of the {phi} meson in central Si+Au collisions has been measured by E859 at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron by selecting events with identified K{sup +}K{sup -} pairs. The mass and width of the {phi}, obtained from the invariant mass distribution of kaon pairs, are consistent with those of free f mesons. The transverse mass and rapidity distributions are presented. The inverse slope parameter for an exponential fit to the invariant transverse mass distribution is 179{+-}10{+-}17 MeV.