On strangeness production in the reactions pp -> p Lambda^0 K^+ and pn -> n Lambda^0 K^+ near threshold

Abstract

The cross sections for the reactions pp -> p Lambda^0K^+ and pn -> n Lambda^0K^+ are calculated near threshold of the final states. The theoretical ratio of the cross sections R = sigma(pn -> n Lambda^0K^+)/ sigma(pp ->pΛ^0K^+) = 3 shows the enhancement of the pn interaction with respect to the pp interaction near threshold of the strangeness production N Lambda^0K^+. Such an enhancement is caused by the contribution of the np interaction in the isospin-singlet state, which is stronger than the $pn$ interaction in the isospin-triplet state. For the confirmation of this result we calculate the cross sections for the reactions pp -> pp pi^0, pi^0 p -> Lambda^0 K^+ and pi^-p -> Lambda^0 K^0 near threshold of the final states. The theoretical cross sections agree well with the experimental data.