Using the relativistic transport model that includes explicitly the ka
on degree of freedom, we investigate kaon flow, i.e. the average kaon
transverse momentum as a function of rapidity and the associated Bow p
arameter in both Au+Au collisions at 1 GeV/nucleon and Ni+Ni collision
s at 1.45 GeV/nucleon. We also study the proton and pion flows in thes
e collisions. For the proton flow in Au+Au collisions, our results usi
ng the non-linear sigma-omega model for the nucleon mean-field potenti
al are in reasonable agreement with preliminary data from the EOS coll
aboration, For pions, which are treated without a mean-field potential
, we observe clearly a transition of their flow from being parallel to
anti-parallel to the nucleon Bow when the two ions change from centra
l to semi-central and peripheral collisions. For kaons, we use four di
fferent assumptions for their potential in nuclear matter, i.e. withou
t potential, the potential based on mean-field approximation to an eff
ective chiral Lagrangian, the potential obtained in impulse approximat
ion using the KN scattering length, and the potential containing only
the repulsive vector interaction. It is found that the pattern of kaon
flow in heavy-ion collisions is sensitive to the kaon potential used
in the model and thus provides a useful means for studying kaon proper
ties in nuclear medium.