Baryon exchange and meson pole diagrams in p(p)over-bar ->(K)over-bar-K,pi(+)pi(-)

The (p)over-bar-p --> (K)over-bar-K and pi(+)pi(-) annihilation reactions a re consistently investigated in a model with both the baryon-exchange diagr ams and the meson pole diagrams. The main feature, the backward enhancement , of the observed differential cross sections for (p)over-bar-p --> (K)over -bar-K and pi(+)pi(-) between 360 to 1550 MeV/c is well understood in this model while the analyzing powers are reasonably reproduced. Specific to the strangeness aspect in (p)over-bar-p --> (K)over-bar-K is that the meson po le diagrams are more important than the baryon-exchange diagrams. Among the meson pole diagrams the tensor mason f(2) dominates the back angle behavio ur of differential cross sections. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.