Subthreshold ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ production on many-quark configurations in nuclei

We study the production of ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ mesons in pA collisions at energies below the threshold for a stationary nucleon target. Using the picture of color flux tubes, the ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ production cross section on many-quark clusters is connected with that on a nucleon target at energies above the threshold. Comparison with experimental data yields upper estimates for the rate of many-quark-cluster states in nuclei.