Production of vector and tensor mesons in proton-proton collisions at square root s=525 GeV

Inclusive production of rho /sup 0/, f, and g/sup 0/ mesons and of K /sub s//sup 0/, K*/sup 0/(892), phi and K*/sup 0/ (1430) mesons has been measured at (p) approximately 2.6 and to (p/sub T/) approximately 1.1 GeV/c in proton-proton interactions at square root s=52.5 GeV. The negative particle from the two-body decays of these resonances were identified by a threshold Cerenkov counter and used for triggering. Starting from the measured differential cross section, total inclusive cross sections for the vector and tensor mesons were determined using various parametrizations for the y and p/sub T/ dependence of the differential cross section. The experimental results are discussed in the framework of production models based on the parton picture. The strangeness suppression factor lambda =(0.30+or-0.10) due to SU(3) symmetry breaking of the quark sea is derived. (41 refs).