We have made a study of interference effects between $K^{*}\mathrm{}\left(890\right)\mathrm{}$ and $K^{*}\mathrm{}\left(1420\right)\mathrm{}$ resonances and the background as observed in the reaction $K^{-}p\to K^{-}{\pi }^{+}n$ at 3.9- and 4.6-GeV/c incident momenta, using a mass-dependent formalism which utilizes the generalized multiple moments. From this analysis we have obtained the $K^{*}\mathrm{}\left(890\right)\mathrm{}$ and $K^{*}\mathrm{}\left(1420\right)\mathrm{}$ density-matrix elements in the Jackson frame which satisfy the spin-1 and spin-2 positivity conditions, respectively. We discuss the implications of the degree and the phase of the interference on the nature of the production mechanism as well as the question of whether there exists a daughter resonance near the $K^{*}\mathrm{}\left(1420\right)\mathrm{}$.

• Received 22 February 1972

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.6.11