phi and omega meson production in pp reactions at p(lab)=3.67 GeV/c - art.no. 024004

The exclusive production cross sections for omega and phi mesons have been measured in proton-proton reactions at p(lab) = 3.67 CeV/c. The observed ph i/omega cross section ratio is (3.8 +/- 0.2(-0.9)(+1.2)) x 10(-3). After ph ase space corrections, this ratio is enhanced by about an order of magnitud e relative to naive predictions based upon the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rul e, in comparison to an enhancement by a factor similar to 3 previously obse rved at higher beam momenta. The modest increase of this enhancement near t he production threshold is compared to the much larger increase of the phi/ omega ratio observed in specific channels of (p) over barp annihilation exp eriments. Furthermore, differential cross section results are also presente d which indicate that although the phi meson is predominantly produced from a P-3(1) proton-proton entrance channel, other partial waves contribute si gnificantly to the production mechanism at this beam momentum.