Sideward flow of K$^+$ mesons in Ru+Ru and Ni+Ni reactions near threshold

Abstract Experimental data on K + meson and proton sideward flow measured with the FOPI detector at SIS/GSI in the reactions Ru+Ru at 1.69 A GeV and Ni+Ni at 1.93 A GeV are presented. The K + sideward flow is found to be anti-correlated (correlated) with the one of protons at low (high) transverse momenta. When compared to the predictions of a transport model, the data favour the existence of an in-medium repulsive K + -nucleon potential.