Approximately 60 000 events have been collected in a spark chamber experiment at the CERN Proton Synchrotron which studied elastic diffraction scattering of π--p and p-p at incident momenta of 8.5, 12.4 and 18.4 GeV/c and of π+-p at 8.5 and 12.4 GeV/c. Magnetic analysis of the incoming and diffraction scattered particle, together with measurement of all angles, permitted each event to be determined as elastic subject to three constraints, so that the inelastic background was rejected with. high efficiency, even at the larger momentum, transfers. Much of the data have been processed by the CERN Automatic Flying-Spot DigitizerHPD. A detailed description of the experimental technique and of the methods of analysis is given. The results, together with data from lower energies, confirm the remarkable energy-independence of the shape of the pion-proton diffraction scattering peak up to |t| = 1.5 (GeV/c)2, wheret is the square of the four-momentum transfer, over a range of pion energies from 2 to 18 GeV. Proton-proton scattering does however appear to show a shrinking diffraction peak. In general, the data agree with other experiments using both counter and bubble chamber techniques, but some differences do appear. During the experiment, data were taken which set an upper limit of 2·102 μb/(GeV/c)2 on the differential elastic cross-section dσ/dt over a range of |t| from 20.9 to 23.4 (GeV/c)2 at 13.4 GeV/c incident pion momentum.

A spark-chamber experiment on the peripheral production of 9245 pion pairs by 12- and 18-GeV/c incident pions is reported and analyzed in terms of a one-pion-exchange model in which the final state at the nucleon vertex contains generally one or more pions. The relevant dynamics and kinematics appropriate to this problem are reviewed, and the experimental and analysis techniques giving good resolution and detection-bias correction are discussed in some detail. From the results, fair agreement is found between the data and the one-pion-exchange calculation of the ρ0 production cross sections and of the associated missing-mass spectra. The ρ0 is found to be consistent with a single peak, and no evidence of peak splitting is observed. A search for a narrow s-wave dipion resonance is made with negative results. Normalizing to the ρ0 meson, the s-wave π+π− scattering cross section is computed from the abundant low-dipion-mass events, giving a cross section falling smoothly from 50 mb (300 MeV) to about 20 mb (600 MeV). No evidence of an s-wave resonance is found in this range of energies. Below 450 MeV, the pion-pion scattering asymmetry favors backward scattering (by 2½ standard deviations), which is consistent with a negative and falling J=T=0 phase shift. The extrapolated forward-backward asymmetry and the s-wave cross section are both consistent with a J=T=0 phase shift near|90°| at about 750 MeV.

Angular distributions are presented for p¯−p elastic scattering at 8 and 16 GeV/c for |t|<1.3 (GeV/c)2. At both energies there is structure in the differential cross sections in the region 0.5<~|t|<~1.0 (GeV/c)2, similar to that observed at lower energies. The diffraction peak continues to expand with increasing incident momentum.

Approximately 21 000 four-prong pp interactions at 13.1 GeV/ c have been studied using the CERN 2m hydrogen bubble chamber. The following reactions have been analyzed pp→ppπ + π − (1) pp→ppπ + π − π 0 (2) pp→ppπ + π + π − (3) The Δ-production is the dominant feature. We also observed the pππ decay of the N ∗ (1470) and N ∗ (1690). The ϱis weakly produced in the three reactions. The η and the α are observed in the reaction (2) and the presence of a ω isobar is discussed. Then the kinematical characteristics of the final particles are described.

The total cross sections of 18.7 GeV Σ − hyperons on protons and deutrons have been measured to be 34.0 ± 1.1 mb and 61.3 + 1.4 mb, respectively. The derived Σ − -neutron cross section is 30.0 ± 1.2 mb.

We have measured the differential cross section for small angle p−p scattering from 25 to 200 GeV incident energy and in the momentum transfer range 0.015<|t|<0.080 (GeVc)2. We find that the slope of the forward diffraction peak, b(s), increases with energy and can be fitted by the form b(s)=b0+2α′ lns, where b0=8.3±1.3 and α′=0.28±0.13 (GeVc)−2. Such dependence is compatible with the data existing both at higher and lower energies. We have also obtained the energy dependence of the p−p total cross section in the energy range from 48 to 196 GeV. Within our errors which are ± 1.1 mb the total cross section remains constant.

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We have studied the K ππ system in the 14.3 GeV/ c reactions K − p → K − π + π − p, K − p → K 0 π − π 0 and K − p → K 0 π + π − n . The data have been obtained from a 500 000 picture exposure of the CERN 2m HBC. The first two final states are dominated by Q-production in the Kππ system; there is also an L-signal at M (K ππ ) ∼ 1.75 GeV. The reaction cross sections are compared to K − p data at other energies. We discuss the K ππ mass dependence of the diffractive production slope. Evidence is presented for a Q − p versus Q + p differential cross section cross-over around | t | = 0.17 GeV 2 . A t -channel isospin analysis for the KN → K ∗(890)π N channels in the Q-region shows that the I = 1 exchange amplitude is ⋍ 10% of the dominant I = 0 exchange amplitude. The K ππ decay distributions indicate a predominant J P = 1 + state in the Q-region, and an important J P = 2 − contribution in the L-region. We find neither s -channel nor t -channel helicity conservation at the meson vertex in the Q- or L-regions. The K π angular correlation moments within the K ππ diffractive system are characteristic of K π elastic scattering, suggesting a π -exchange Deck-type production mechanism. There is evidence for a Kf 0 and κπ contribution (where κ is the J P (K π ) = 0 + state) to the diffractive K ππ system. A fit to the K − π + π − and K 0 π − π 0 Dalitz-plot distributions for the Q-re gion indicates that the ratio of K ϱ to K ∗ π decay amplitudes decreases with increasing K ππ mass.

Cross sections for resonance production in the reactions π ± p → p π ± π + π − at 16 GeV/ c are determined by a maximum likelihood fit, making use of the measurements of all individual events. The reactions are described by a simple parametrization based on an incoherent superposition of amplitudes for quasi two-body and quasi three-body processes and a non-resonant backgroud. In this way the reflections are accounted for in a consistent way. Thus cross sections are obtained for Δ ++ , Δ 0 , ρ 0 and f 0 production which do not suffer from the uncertainties of background subtraction typical of the usual technique of fitting individual mass distributions.

Results are presented on an analysis of the reaction K + p → K ∗+ (890) p at 16 GeV/ c and compared with data at lower incident momenta and with corresponding results for the reaction K − p → K ∗− (890) p. It is found for both reactions that the energy dependence of the cross section exhibits a simple ( p − n lab behaviour.