  Kaon production cross sections in nucleon-nucleon, nucleon-delta and
delta-delta interactions are studied in a boson exchange model. For the latter
two interactions, the exchanged pion can be on-mass shell, only contributions
due to a virtual pion are included via the Peierls method by taking into
account the finite delta width. With these cross sections and also those for
pion-baryon interactions, subthreshold kaon production from heavy ion
collisions is studied in the relativistic transport model.
