First results from the magnetic detector PLUTO at the new e + e − storage ring PETRA are shown. The ratio R of the cross section for hadron production to that for μ-pair production has been measured to be R = 5.0 ± 0.5 at 13 GeV and 4.3 ±0.5 at 17 GeV. Both values have an additional systematic error of 20%. The events show a typical 2-jet structure. The mean transverse momentum approaches a constant value with increasing energy implying a shrinkage of the jet opening angle.

The production of the Lambda and Sigma0 hyperons has been measured via the pp->pK+Lambda / Sigma0 reaction at the internal COSY-11 facility in the excess energy range between 14 and 60 MeV. The transition of the Lambda/Sigma0 cross section ratio from about 28 at Q<=13 MeV to the high energy level of about 2.5 is covered by the data showing a strong decrease of the ratio between 10 and 20 MeV excess energy. Effects from the final state interactions in the p-Sigma0 channel seem to be much smaller compared to the p-Lambda one. Estimates of the effective range parameters are given for the N-Lambda and the N-Sigma systems.

The effects of resonance production on correlations in final states containing kaons in p p annihilations at 0.76 GeV c have been in detail. We show that correlation distributions of unlike kaon pairs, K S 0 K ± , can be completerly by resonance production. However, for like kaon pairs, K S ) K S 0 , we require the added effects of second-order interference. Using this interference effect we are able to measure the dimensions of the emission region for kaons in p p annihilations at low energy as R = 0.9 ± 0.2 fm.

The production of eta mesons has been measured in the proton-proton interaction close to the reaction threshold using the COSY-11 internal facility at the cooler synchrotron COSY. Total cross sections were determined for eight different excess energies in the range from 0.5 MeV to 5.4 MeV. The energy dependence of the total cross section is well described by the available phase-space volume weighted by FSI factors for the proton-proton and proton-eta pairs.

Sigma+ hyperon production was measured at the COSY-11 spectrometer via the p p --> n K+ Sigma+ reaction at excess energies of Q = 13 MeV and Q = 60 MeV. These measurements continue systematic hyperon production studies via the p p --> p K+ Lambda/Sigma0 reactions where a strong decrease of the cross section ratio close-to-threshold was observed. In order to verify models developed for the description of the Lambda and Sigma0 production we have performed the measurement on the Sigma+ hyperon and found unexpectedly that the total cross section is by more than one order of magnitude larger than predicted by all anticipated models. After the reconstruction of the kaon and neutron four momenta, the Sigma+ is identified via the missing mass technique. Details of the method and the measurement will be given and discussed in view of theoretical models.

The two-pion production in pp-collisions has been investigated at CELSIUS in exclusive measurements from threshold up to $T_p$ = 1.36 GeV. Total and differential cross sections have been obtained for the channels $pn\pi^+\pi^0$, $pp\pi^+\pi^-$, $pp\pi^0\pi^0$ and also $nn\pi^+\pi^+$. For intermediate incident energies $T_p >$ 1 GeV, i.e. in the region which is beyond the Roper excitation but at the onset of $\Delta\Delta$ excitation, the total $pp\pi^0\pi^0$ cross section falls behind theoretical predictions by as much as an order of magnitude near 1.2 GeV, whereas the $nn\pi^+\pi^+$ cross section is a factor of five larger than predicted. An isospin decompostion of the total cross sections exhibits a s-channel-like energy dependence in the region of the Roper excitation as well as a significant contribution of an isospin 3/2 resonance other than the $\Delta(1232)$. As possible candidates the $\Delta(1600)$ and the $\Delta(1700)$ are discussed.

We present evidence for the exclusive reaction e+e−→Ds±Ds*∓, observed with the Mark III detector at the SLAC storage ring SPEAR. The Ds± is reconstructed in the φπ± decay mode, while the Ds*∓ is detected as a narrow peak in the recoil-mass distribution. The mass of the Ds* is found to be 2109.3±2.1±3.1 MeV/c2, yielding a Ds*−Ds mass difference of 137.9±2.1±4.3 MeV/c2. The width of the Ds* is <22 MeV/c2 at the 90%-confidence level. The observed signal corresponds to σ(e+e−→Ds+Ds*−+Ds−Ds*+)B(Ds+→φπ+)=30±6±11 pb at s=4.14 GeV.

We have measured the differential cross section d2σdΩdTπ and the polarization parameter P for the production of π+ and π− in various target nuclei (H1, H2, Be, C, O, Al, Ni, Cu, Mo, and Pb) by protons with a kinetic energy of 585 MeV, for production angles θπ=22.5°, 45°, 60°, 90°, and 135°, and for pion kinetic energies Tπ of 24, 35, 46, 88, 151, 192, and 254 MeV (all quantities in the laboratory system). Our data disagree strongly with recent data for 580-MeV protons. On the other hand, for pion energies up to 150 MeV, our cross sections differ little from those measured for a proton energy of 730 MeV. For nuclei with A>20, the total production cross sections σ(π+) and σ(π−) show the Z13 and N23 proportionality expected from theoretical arguments. There is evidence in our data of a shift of the π+ energy distributions compared to the π− distributions due to the effects of the Coulomb field of the nuclear protons on the emitted pions. NUCLEAR REACTIONS H1, H2, Be, C, O, Al, Ni, Cu, Mo, Pb p, π±, Tp=585 MeV; measured σ(Tπ, θπ) and asymmetry parameter P(Tπ, θπ).

Results are presented of differential cross-section measurements for the reaction π − p→ π 0 n; π 0 → γγ at 22 incident pion momenta between 618 and 2724 MeV/ c . The results are in good agreement with those of other experiments. They represent the first comprehensive set of high statistics measurements of the π − p charge-exchange differential cross section at closely spaced momenta in the resonance region.

Threshold measurements of the associated strangeness production reactions pp --> p K(+) Lambda and pp --> p K(+) Sigma(0) are presented. Although slight differences in the shapes of the excitation functions are observed, the most remarkable feature of the data is that at the same excess energy the total cross section for the Sigma(0) production appears to be about a factor of 28 smaller than the one for the Lambda particle. It is concluded that strong Sigma(0)-p final state interactions, and in particular the Sigma-N --> Lambda-p conversion reaction, are the likely cause of the depletion for the yield in the Sigma signal. This hypothesis is in line with other experimental evidence in the literature.