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.

The total proton-proton cross section (excluding Coulomb scattering) has been measured at energies from 410 Mev up to 2.6 Bev, using external beams from the Cosmotron. Fast counting equipment was used to measure the attenuation of the beams through polyethylene, carbon, and liquid H2 absorbers. At each energy E, σp−p(E, Ω) was measured as a function of the solid angle Ω subtended by the rear counter at the center of the absorber. The total cross section σp−p was obtained by a least squares straight line extrapolation to Ω=0. The measured σp−p as a function of energy rises sharply from 26.5 mb at 410 Mev to 47.8 mb at 830 Mev and then remains approximately constant out to 1.4 Bev, above which energy it decreases gradually to about 42 mb at 2.6 Bev. Using the same equipment and procedure, we have also measured the D2O-H2O difference cross section, called "σp−n," for protons over the same energy range. From a comparison of "σp−n," and σp−p, with the n−p and n−d measurements of Coor et al. at 1.4 Bev, it is apparent that one nucleon is "shielded" by the other in the deuteron. This effect is not present at energies below 410 Mev. Comparing the measured p−p and "p−n" (corrected) cross sections with the results of other high-energy experiments, one may infer the following conclusions: (1) The sharp rise in σp−p from 400 to 800 Mev results from increasing single pion production, which may proceed through the T=32, J=32 excited nucleon state. (2) Above 1 Bev the inelastic (meson production) p−p cross section appears to be approximately saturated at 27-29 mb. (3) The rise in cross section for n−p interaction in the T=0 state, associated with the rise in double pion production, implies that double meson production also proceeds through the T=32 nucleon state. (4) The probable equality of σp−d and σn−d at 1.4 Bev implies the validity of charge symmetry at this energy.

We present the results of a study of the inclusive reaction ν¯p→μ+X0 for antineutrino energies from 5 to 150 GeV. The data were obtained by exposing the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory hydrogen-filled 15-foot bubble chamber to a wide-band antineutrino beam. This is the first high-energy antineutrino experiment in which a pure proton target was used. The experimental problems of selecting the required sample of charged-current antineutrino-induced events are discussed in detail. A Monte Carlo simulation of the experiment is used to provide correction factors to the measured distributions. A measurement of the x dependence of the inelasticity (y) distributions gives the proton structure functions F2ν¯p(x) and xF3ν¯p(x) up to an overall normalization constant. When expressed in terms of the quark-parton model, the quark distributions u(x) and d¯(x)+s¯(x) are determined. The results for u(x) are found to be in excellent agreement with models based on fits to electron and muon scattering data. Using these results to fix the u(x) normalization, an absolute measurement is made of x[d¯(x)+s¯(x)], the antiquark momentum distribution.

Results are presented on a series of measurements of ρ-photoproduction from hydrogen, deuterium, and complex nuclei ranging up to lead, at photon energies ranging from 4 to 9 GeV. Detailed dipion mass-spectrum fits are presented, using a Drell-type nonresonant background and its interference with the resonant amplitude, with no other arbitrary backgrounds. For hydrogen and deuterium, the inelastic contributions have been subtracted. The A dependence of the cross sections is analyzed to yield values of γρ24π and σρN at average photon energies of 6.1, 6.5, and 8.8 GeV. The hydrogen-to-deuterium ratios indicate the presence of possible nondiffractive amplitudes at low energies which then decrease with energy.

The Fermilab 15-ft bubble chamber, filled with a heavy neon-hydrogen mix, was exposed to a narrow-band νμ beam. Based on the observation of 830 charged-current νμ interactions, the cross section was found consistent with a linear rise with the neutrino energy in the interval 10 GeV<~Eν≲240 GeV. The average slope was determined to be σνEν=(0.62±0.05)×10−38 cm2 GeV−1.

The ρ0-meson spin alignment is studied in p¯p interactions at 22.4 and 12 GeV/c and in the reaction p¯p→2π++2π−+neutrals at 5.7 GeV/c. An essential ρ0-meson spin alignment is observed. The values of the ρ00T element of the ρ0-meson spin-density matrix in the transversity frame are 0.56 ± 0.07, 0.53 ± 0.05, and 0.54 ± 0.04 for the above-mentioned interactions, respectively. An increase of ρ00T with ρ0 transverse momentum is obtained.

Results on multiplicities, topological cross sections, total particle production cross sections, and correlations between charged particle and π 0 production are presented for pp interactions at 12 and 24 GeV/ c incident laboratory momentum. Inclusive production of π ± , K s 0 , p , Λ, Σ ± and Λ is studied; particle spectra are shown in single and double differential form and are compared, in different kinematic regions, with data obtained at other incident momenta and with other beam particles.

The inclusive reaction K + p → K 0 + X is studied at 5, 8.2 and 16 GeV/ c . The energy dependence and the shapes of inclusive spectra in the central region are found to be consistent with double-Regge expansion. With the values obtained for the parameters of the Regge expansion, prediction are made for the behaviour of the cross section at higher energies.

A significant rate of forward proton and antiproton production has been observed in 120 and 280 GeV muon-proton scattering. The z and p T 2 distributions are presented. The dependence of the normalized production cross section on the muon variables x and Q 2 is studied.

The reaction K + p→ Δ ++ (1236)+ anything is studied at beam momenta 8.2 and 16 GeV/ c and compared with other Δ ++ producing reactions. We find that the low-mass Δ ++ π − enhancement affects the shapes of Δ ++ inclusive distributions. The triple-Regge formula is found to be consistent with the data. Dual properties of this formula are successfully tested.