Diffractive production of the 3 π system has been studied at 63 and 94 GeV using a two magnet spectrometer with high, uniform acceptance. The total number of events used in the analysis is ∼600 000. The A 2 meson is shown to be diffractively produced. The existence of a resonant component in both the 1 + and 2 − enhancements is established and resonance parameters for the corresponding A 1 and A 3 mesons are given. There are several indications in the data of states which would correspond to radial excitations in the quark model.

The reactions π + p giving π 0 Δ ++ (1236), η (549) Δ ++ (1236) and η ′(958) Δ ++ (1236) are studied at 16 GeV/ c . Cross sections, differential cross sections and Δ ++ (1236) spin density matrix elements are presented. The π 0 Δ ++ (1236) differential cross section d σ d t′ indicates a dip towards t ′ = 0 and has a minimum at t ′ ≅ 0.6 GeV 2 . The Δ ++ (1236) spin density matrix elements are consistent with the predictions of the Stodolsky-Sakurai model, except perhaps near the forward direction. For ηΔ ++ (1236), the differential cross section d σ d t′ turns over in the forward direction and presents no further structure. SU(3) sum rules are tested and found to be approximately satisfied. The data agree with factorization of ϱ exchange. The effective A 2 trajectory is calculated and found to be consistent with that reported from the reaction π − p → η n.

The reaction π + p→ ωΔ ++ (1236) is studied at 16 GeV/ c . Cross section, differential cross section, single and joint spin-density matrix elements are given and the correlations between the ε and Δ ++ (1236) decay angular distributions are investigated. Natural and unnatural spin-parity exchanges contribute to this reaction in roughly equal amounts. Natural exchanges lead predominantly to Δ ++ (1236) with helicity ± 3 2 , while unnatural exchanges lead predominantly to Δ ++ (1236) with helicity ± 1 2 and to ε with helicity zero. Furthermore, unnatural exchanges are small at t ′≅0.2 GeV 2 compared to other t ′ values, which may be due to the nonsense wrong-signature-zero of the B-meson exchange. Quark model relations are found to be satisfied by the data.

The reaction π + p → ϱ 0 Δ ++ (1236) at 16 GeV/ c has been studied. Cross section, differential cross section, single and joint spin-density matrix elements are given. Correlations between the ϱ 0 and Δ ++ (1236) decay distributions are observed. Unnatural spin-parity exchanges, mainly observed at small t ' values, dominate the ϱ 0 Δ ++ (1236) production. The natural exchange contributions are only (7 ± 2)% and become as important as the unnatural exchanges beyond t ' = 0.3 GeV 2 . Contributions to Δ ++ (1236) helicity 3 2 states do not exceed 20% of the total ϱ 0 Δ ++ (1236) cross section and are mainly due to unnatural exchanges.

A comparison is made of the properties and production mechanisms of the π + ω and K − ω systems produced in the reactions π + p → π + ω p at 4, 5, 8 and 16 GeV/ c and K − p → K − ω p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . In the π + ω case apeak is observed at 1.23 GeV (the B meson), while the K − ω mass distribution has a threshold enhancement. The cross section of the low mass (<2.0 GeV) π + ω system falls as p lab −2 , while that of the low mass (<2.0 GeV) K − ω system is almost constant with energy, indicating diffractive production of the K − ω system, but not of the πω system. Using a modified version of the Illinois partial-wave analysis program, it is found that the K − ω system is dominantly produced in the J P = 1 + state with small contributions of 0 − and 2 + , mainly by natural parity exchange - as is found for reactions such as K − p → (K − π + π − )p which are predominantly diffractive. For the π + ω system in the B mass region, J P = 1 + states, produced mainly by natural parity exchange are found; the contributions of 0 − P, 1 − P, 2 − P and 2 + D are consistent with zero. The 1 + D state occurs in the π + ω case but not in the K − ω system, nor in the K ππ − system produced in the K − p → K ππ p reaction.

A partial-wave analysis has been performed of the diffractively produced low-mass ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) system in the reaction K − p → ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . Thus information complementary to that derived from the K − p → (K − π + π − )p) channel is obtained. The presence of the K ϱ decay mode, besides the dominant K ∗ (890)π mode, for the state J P = 1 + , is confirmed. It is also confirmed that for this 1 + state the assumption of factorization of the amplitude into “production” and “decay” does not hold: the two decay modes K ∗ π and K ϱ have different polarisation properties (helicity is approximately conserved in the t -channel for the first, in the s -channel for the second). The assumption that the ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) system has isospin I = 1 2 has been tested and found to hold. From the cross sections for the various J P states, assuming I = 1 2 , the cross sections for the (K − π + π − ) system are predicted and compared with the experimental ones. In general, agreement is found.

The reaction γp→; π + π − p in the energy range 4.1 to 6.2 GeV has been studied with a tagged photon beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target in the DESY one-meter streamer chamber. The reaction is analysed in terms of the longitudinal phase space (LPS) method. The one-pion-exchange model for Δ(1236) production and decay is examined. For the diffractive part of the LPS a dual model with pomeron exchange is investigated. In particular, the s -channel helicity conservation dual model of Dewey and Humpert describes the data well.

The total and differential cross sections of the reactions K − p → π 0 Λ (1520), ηΛ(1520) and η′ Λ(1520) have been measured. Prominent forward peaks are onserved in all three reactions. The first reaction shows also a backward peak. The spin density matrix elements of the Λ(1520) in this reaction are determined. For forward production the results show a remarkable alignment of the Λ(1520) corresponding to an M2 transition in the model of Stodolsky-Sakurai for 3 2 − baryon production.

A partial-wave analysis of the (3 π ) 0 system produced peripherally in the reaction K − p → π + π − π 0 Λ at 4.2 GeV/ c is presented. The observation of the weak Λ decay allows a determination of all the transversity production amplitudes except for two phases. The production of known resonances having decay modes other than 3 π is used to test the isobar model ansatz. Significant ω(783), φ(1020) and A 2 (1310) production is observed. The spin parity of the ω ∗ (1675) is established as 3 − . No evidence for production of other resonances, such as axial vector-mesons, is found.

The reaction of K − p → Σ + (1660) π − was studied in a 65 event/μb sample of Σππ(π), Λππ(π) and p K 0 π − final states. The main production features observed are that the Σ (1660) decaying into Σππ is mostly Λ (1405) π and is produced only at small t ; the Σ (1660) decaying into Σπ shows both forward and backward production. This confirms earlier results suggesting the existence of two Σ (1660) resonances. An Adair analysis and a (model-dependent) moments analysis find a J = 3 2 preference for the Σ + (1660)→ Λ (1405) π + → Σ + π − π + ; a Dalitz-Miller analysis of the decay Σ + (1660) → Λ (1405) π + → Σ − π + π + determines J P to be 3 2 − . For the Σ + (1660) → Σ 0 π + a moments analysis suggests J = 3 2 . Branching ratios are determined, which (with the exceptation of the Λ (1405) π mode) are in reasonable agreement with results from formation experiments for the J P = 3 2 − Σ(1660) resonance. We compare our branching ratios with SU(3) and SU(6) predictions; the latter comparison suggests that, unless there is strong configuration mixing, Σ (1660) → Λ (1405) π , if 3 2 − , cannot be a member of the (70, 1 − ) multiplet.