Antikaon production and medium effects in proton–nucleus reactions at subthreshold beam energies.

Abstract. The inclusive K[sup -] meson production in proton-nucleus collisions in the subthreshold energy regime is analyzed in the framework of an appropriate folding model for incoherent primary proton-nucleon production process, which takes properly into account the struck target nucleon momentum and removal energy distribution (nucleon spectral function) as well as nuclear mean-field potential effects on the onestep antikaon creation process. A detailed comparison of the model calculations of the K[sup -] differential cross sections for the reaction p + Be[sup 9] ar subthreshold energies with the first experimental data obtained at the ITEP proton synchrotron is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]