Comparative Regge analysis of Λ,ΣΛ(1520) and Θ+ production in γp,πp and pp reactions

Abstract.Using the Quark-Gluon Strings Model --combined with Regge phenomenology-- we perform a comparative analysis of Λ, Σ0, Λ(1520) and Θ+ production in binary reactions induced by photon, pion and proton beams on the nucleon. We find that the existing experimental data on the γp↦K+Λ differential and total cross-sections can be described very well by the model for photon energies 1-16 GeV and - t < 2 GeV2 assuming a dominant contribution of the K* Regge trajectory. Moreover, using the same parameters we also reproduce the total γp↦K+Σ0 and γp↦K+Λ(1520) cross-sections suggesting a “universality” of the Regge model. In order to check the consistency of the approach we evaluate the differential and total cross-sections for the reaction π-p↦K0Λ which is also found to be dominated by the K* Regge trajectory. Using the apparent “universality” of the Regge model we extend our scheme to the analysis of the binary reactions γp↦¯0Θ+, π-p↦K-Θ+ and pp↦Σ+Θ+ as well as the exclusive and inclusive Θ+ production in the reactions pp↦p¯0Θ+ and pp↦Θ+X. Our detailed studies demonstrate that Θ+ production does not follow the “universality” principle, thus suggesting an essentially different internal structure of the exotic baryon relative to conventional hyperons or hyperon resonances.