Measuring K0SK± interactions using pp collisions at √sNN = 7 TeV

Abstract

We present the first measurements of femtoscopic correlations between the K0Sand K±particles in pp collisions at √s=7TeV measured by the ALICE experiment. The observed femtoscopic correlations are consistent with final-state interactions proceeding solely via the a0(980)resonance. The extracted kaon source radius and correlation strength parameters for K0SK−are found to be equal within the experimental uncertainties to those for K0SK+. Results of the present study are compared with those from identical-kaon femtoscopic studies also performed with pp collisions at √s=7TeV by ALICE and with a K0SK±measurement in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76TeV. Combined with the Pb–Pb results, our pp analysis is found to be compatible with the interpretation of the a0(980)having a tetraquark structure instead of that of a diquark.