Pion meson exchange contribution to K+-nucleus scattering

We study the pion meson exchange current (MEC) contribution to K+-nucleus elastic scattering. With the construction of a model for the off-shell Kπ scattering amplitude, we derive both real and imaginary forward scattering amplitudes for the MEC contribution. The addition of the MEC amplitudes to the optical model amplitudes removes partially the discrepancy between the experimental data and the optical model calculations, in particular, with regard to the energy dependence of the total cross section. ((orig.))