Partial wave contributions to the antikaon potential at finite momentum

The momentum dependence of the antikaon optical potential in nuclear mailer is obtained from a microscopic and self-consistent calculation using the meson-exchange Julich (K) over barN interaction. Two self-consistent schemes are discussed, which would lead to substantially different predictions for the width of (K) over bar nuclear bound states. The effect of higher partial waves of the (K) over barN interaction, beyond the L = 0 component, is studied and found to have moderate but nonnegligible effects on the K nuclear potential at zero momentum. At momenta as large as 500 MeV/c, relevant in the analysis of heavy-ion collisions, the higher partial partial waves modify the K optical potential by nearly a factor of two. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.