The scattering of neutral $K$ mesons has been treated phenomenologically. The scattered beam, in general, contains both $K_0$ and ${\overline{K}}_0$ components having different amplitudes. These amplitudes interfere with each other in the generation of $K_1$ and $K_2$ components in the scattered beam. The relative sign of the two amplitudes may then be determined from the analysis of $K_1$, $K_2$ decays. The leptonic decay rates of the scattered beam show a dependence on $\Delta M$, the mass difference between $K_1$, $K_2$ in such a way that the sign of $\Delta M$ can, in principle, be determined experimentally.

• Received 16 November 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.118.866