We report on measurements of the differential π±p cross section at pion energies Tπ=32.7, 45.1, and 68.6 MeV. The measurements, covering the angular range 25°≤θlab≤123°, have been carried out at the Paul-Scherrer-Institute (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland, employing the magnet spectrometer LEPS. The absolute normalization of the π±p cross sections have been achieved by relating them to the electromagnetic cross sections of μ±12C scattering. The results are in agreement with those of our preceding measurements at Tπ=32.2 and 45.1 MeV insofar as they overlap with the region of the Coulomb nuclear interference investigated there. A comparison with the predictions of the Karlsruhe-Helsinki phase shift analysis KH80, which has formed the basis for the determination of the ‘‘experimental’’ σ term, reveals considerable deviations. These are most pronounced for the π+p cross sections at Tπ=32.7 and 45.1 MeV. Single energy partial wave fits result in S-wave contributions, which are about 1° lower in magnitude then those specified by the KH80 solution. The data at 68.6 MeV are in good agreement with the phase shift analysis.

The values of the pion nucleon (πN) σ term, as determined, on the one hand, from experimental pion nucleon scattering by means of dispersion relations and, on the other hand, from baryon masses by means of chiral perturbation theory, differ by 10 to 15 MeV. The origin of this discrepancy is not yet understood. If the difference between the two values is attributed to the scalar current of strange sea quark pairs within the proton, the contribution to the proton mass would be of the order of 120 MeV. The discrepancy may hint at either theoretical deficiencies or an inadequate πN database. In order to provide reliable experimental data we have measured angular distributions of elastic pion proton scattering at pion energies Tπ=32.2 and 44.6 MeV using the magnet spectrometer LEPS located at the Paul-Scherrer-Institute (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland. From the data covering the region of the Coulomb nuclear interference, the real parts of the isospin-even forward scattering amplitude ReD+(t=0), have been determined as a function of energy. The results have been compared with the predictions of the Karlsruhe-Helsinki phase shift analysis KH80, revealing discrepancies most pronounced for the π+p data. The experimentally determined values for ReD+(t=0), however, support the KH80 prediction (which is based on πN data available in 1979).

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The inclusive process π++P→K¯ *0(890)+X is studied at 16 GeV/c using a 2-m streamer chamber containing a central liquid hydrogen target. From photographs triggered by detection of a forward K− meson, the signal K¯ K−*0π+ is extracted. The inclusive rate for K¯ * production into the forward hemisphere σ(xF>0.3) is 115±27 μb; the pT2 distribution is found to have a slope constant of 3.3±0.6 (GeV/c)2. The Feynman-x distribution for K¯ *0 is consistent with a Kuti-Weisskopf model in which the valence and sea quarks of the incident pion interact with only the sea quarks of the target proton.

The reaction K−p→K¯0π−p has been studied at 100 and 175 GeV/c and the reaction π−p→K0K−p at 50, 100, and 175 GeV/c. Both reactions are dominated by production of resonances, K*(890), K*(1430) and A2(1320), A2(2040), respectively. Production cross sections, t distributions, and decay-angular distributions are studied. Isoscalar natural-parity exchange is dominant. The energy dependence of the K* and A2 resonance production between 10 and 175 GeV/c is well described by a Regge-pole model. Our data on A2 corrects that in an earlier paper.

The reaction π−p→K0K−p has been measured from 50 to 175 GeV/c. The production characteristics of the A2 have been analyzed. We find spin and t dependence similar to lower energies, but the cross section falls rapidly with energy. In a Regge description of π−p→A2−p our data imply a rather small Pomeron-exchange component.

Energy, charge and strangeness flow inK+p interactions at 32 and 70 GeV/c, and π+p interactions at 32 GeV/c are studied in terms of the angular variable λ=|x|/pT. The data ondQ/dλ anddE/dλ show only a weak indication of scale breaking between 32 and 70 GeV/c. For inclusive “non-diffractive”, inclusive “diffractive” and exclusive “non-diffractive” jets, the fraction of charge in any angular region ΔΩ away from the central region is found to be proportional to the energy fraction in the same interval. The data ondQ/dE versus λ are compatible with some versions of dual-sheet models and agree also with the LUND Monte-Carlo model. The data are also compared with\(v(\bar v)p\) interactions in BEBC. In exclusive channels the average ratiodQ/dS=0.78±0.04 is consistent, in the framework of fragmentation models, with a larger probability for the fragmentation of the\(\bar s\)-valence quark than theu-valence quark in theK+-meson.

The reaction π − p→ π 0 π 0 n has been measured with a 648 channel hodoscope spectrometer for the detection of the four γ's from the π 0 decays. The π 0 π 0 D-wave is fully compatible with the f 0 contribution as it is determined in high-statistics π + π − experiments. The magnitude of the π 0 π 0 S-wave and the cosinus of its phase angle (relative to the known D-wave) are determined from fits to the π 0 π 0 angular distributions. Argand diagrams for the I = 0 amplitude S 0 are given for the range 1000 to 1500 MeV/ c 2 . Two solutions exist. One exceeds the unitarity limit above 1200 MeV/ c 2 . The other remains within the unitarity limit and is nearly elastic up to 1450 MeV/ c 2 . It indicates an S 0 wave resonance around 1300 MeV/ c 2 .

The mass and momentum transfer spectra of the charged K K system produced in the reaction π ± p→K s 0 K ± p are analyzed. The data have been collected at the CERN SPS with the Geneva-Lausanne two-arm, non-magnetic spectrometer at 30 and 50 GeV/ c incident momenta. The general features of the reactions at these energies and the results of partial-wave analyses of the two kaon system are presented. The channel is dominated by the diffractive production of even spin resonances. The spin 4 recurrence of the A 2 (1320) is clearly observed at 2040 MeV ( Γ =380 MeV. A new resonance is observed with a mass M =2450MeV and a width Γ =400 MeV; the quantum numbers of this state are found to be I G ( J PC )=1 −(6 ++ ) . The analysis also shows the decay of the decay of the meson ϱ′(1600) through the K K channel at both energies. The production amplitudes are determined both as a function of the K K effective mass and of the momentum transfer. Isoscalar natural parity exchange is dominant. The energy dependence between 10 and 50 GeV/ c is shown to be well described by a Regge pole model based on the f-dominated pomeron hypothesis. We compare the production mechanisms of the 2 + resonances A 2 (1320) and K ∗ (1430). Finally, we estimate the K K branching ratios of the spin 4 A 2 (2040) and spin 6 A 2 (2450) resonances.

A search for production of D*−'s using the decay chain D0π−, D0→K+π−, was carried out at the Brookhaven National Laboratory multiparticle spectrometer with a 16-GeV/c π− beam and a hydrogen target. At 95% confidence level the upper limits for the product of peripheral production cross section by branching ratio are 2.4 nb for inclusive D*− production and 1.3 nb for the exclusive channel π−p→D*−Λc.