The diffractive dissociation of a 200-GeV/c ${\pi }^{-}$ beam into $K_S^0{K}_S^0{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}$ has been observed. The diffractive $K_S^0{K}_S^0{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}$ cross section is 1.59±0.78 μb. The ratio of the diffractive $K_S^0{K}_S^0{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}$ cross section to the diffractive $K_S^0{K}_S^0{\pi }^{-}$ cross section is 0.40±0.13, which is in good agreement with a diffractive-fragmentation-model prediction of 0.36. There is evidence for simultaneous production of $K^{*-}$ and $K^{*+}$ in the diffractive $K_S^0{K}_S^0{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{-}$ sample. The $K^{*+-}{K}_S^0{\pi }^{-+}$ mass distribution shows an enhancement near 1.95 GeV.

• Received 12 October 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.29.1888