A comparison is made of the low-mass three-meson systems (πππ), (Kππ), (π K K ) and ( K K K ) diffractively produced in the reaction meson + proton → three mesons + proton. Several striking similarities and a few important differences are observed: (i) the reactions are consistent with the assumption that the three mesons decay entirely into a 0 − meson and a 0 + , 1 − or 2 + resonance; (ii) the three-meson mass spectra have a peak ≈ 250 MeV above the effective threshold M eff of the dominant decay mode and then fall off approximately as (mass) −3 ;(iii) the average spin 〈 J 〉 = 0.55 + 1.1 Q eff , where Q eff = M - M eff ; (iv) the average orbital angular momentum 〈 l 〉 increases according to 〈 l 〉 = 0.75 Q eff ; (v) the three-meson states are produced dominantly in unnatural spin-parity states and no evidence for their being resonant is found; (vi) the only natural spin-parity states found are the well-established 2 + resonances A 2 and K ∗ (1420); they have similar properties to the non-resonant unnatural parity states except for a dip at t = 0 in the dσ/d t distributions; (vii) both the unnatural and natural spin-parity states are produced mostly by an exchange of natural parity; (viii) there is evidence for two types of production mechanism with different polarization properties, one approximately conserving helicity in the t -channel and the other in the s -channel.

Elastic cross-section measurements are presented for π ± −p at 20 GeV/ c and π − −p at 30 GeV/ c incident momenta in the large angle region (50° to 90° in the c.m. system). The data are compared with published lower energy elastic cross sections. A test is made of the dimensional counting rules for π ± −p elastic scattering and some indication of a deviation from this rule is observed in the π − −p case. A comparison is also made with the predictions of the constituent interchange model. Although the broad features of the predictions are confirmed, there are some important discrepancies. Finally, the predictions of the model due to Preparata and Soffer are also compared with the new data.

A description is given of an experiment to study elastic scattering of π ± , K ± and p on protons at c.m. scattering angles from 45° to 100° at incident laboratory momenta 20 GeV/ c and 30 GeV/ c . The corresponding t range is from −6.2 (GeV/ c ) 2 to −28 (GeV/ c ) 2 . There are no previous observations for these reactions in this t range. High intensity and large geometrical acceptance were required in order to measure the low cross sections. The experiment used a double-arm spectrometer. MWPCs were used for reconstruction, and threshold and differential Čerenkov counters for identification. Scintillation counters, Čerenkov counters and a hadron calorimeter were used in the trigger. The trigger logic utilized specially designed matrices and a hard wired microprocessor. The π − p elastic scattering cross sections follow approximately the dimensional counting rule from 3.5 GeV/ c .and up to 30 GeV/ c . The cross sections decrease by seven orders of magnitude in this energy range. The data is compared to quark models. None of these models give a comprehensive description of the results. However, some modifications to these models improve their consistency with the data.

Measurements of the differential elastic cross sections for π − p scattering at incident momenta of 20 and 50 GeV c and π + p at 50 GeV c in the momentum transfer range 0.7 < |t|; < 8.0 ( GeV c ) 2 are presented. The data are compared with various models of elastic scattering.

We have measured the differential cross section for π−p→η0n at 6.0 GeV/c from 6730 very clean events in which the decay η→π+π−π0 was detected. The high statistics reveals a sizable forward turnover, implying a dominance of the helicity-flip amplitude. A precisely determined A2 trajectory, linear for |t|<1.0 (GeV/c)2, is found from combining our data with those at energies up to 101 GeV.

We report results from a study of π−p→ω0n at 6.0 GeV/c based on 28 000 events from a charged and neutral spectrometer. Background under the ω0 is only 7%, a large improvement over deuterium-bubble-chamber work. Density matrix elements, projected cross sections, and effective trajectories for natural and unnatural exchanges are presented.

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A full-kinematics measurement of the π − p→ π − p π 0 reaction in the incident π − momentum region from 295 to 450 MeV/ c is presented. The measurement was performed with the OMICRON spectrometer at the CERN synchrocyclotron.

Result of cross section measurements for the reaction π − p → π − π + n are presented. They cover a range of incident pion momenta between 295 and 450 MeV/ c . It is the first time that the cross section has been measured so close to threshold. The experiment was performed with Omicron, a large-solid-angle spectrometer, which enables a measurement of the full set of kinematic variables. In the region of overlap there is a good agreement with other experiments. The extracted value for the chiral-symmetry-breaking parameter ξ is seen to be largely extrapolition dependent but the measured value of -0.5±0.8 leaves Weinberg's prediction of ξ =0 the only remaining choice.

The reaction π+p→π+π+n was studied in the vicinity of the reaction threshold at ten incident pion beam momenta from 297 MeV/c to 480 MeV/c. From data angular distributions, invariant mass spectra and integrated cross-sections were deduced. The chiral symmetry breaking parameter as determined by this reaction equals to ξ=1.56±0.26±0.39, where the first error is experimental, while the latter reflects the uncertainty in the ansatz used in the extrapolation to the reaction threshold. A comparison with the other reaction channels of the reaction πp→ππN indicates that a single parameter (ξ) is not sufficient to describe low energy ππ interactions.

We have observed the D(1285), E(1420) and δ(975) mesons produced in 12 and 15 GeV/ c π − p interactions at the CERN Omega Spectrometer. Production cross sections and decay branching ratios are presented. Analysis of the decay D(1285) → δ (975) π favours a spin-parity assignment of 1 + .

We present an analysis of ππN final states obtained from π−p interactions at 2.26 GeV/c. Strong ρ production is present in both final states. In addition, significant nucleon isobar production is observed. We observed the following cross sections: σ(π−π0p)=3.77±0.13 mb, σ(π−π+n)=5.67±0.17 mb, σ(ρ−p)=2.19±0.09 mb, σ(Δ+(1236)π−)=0.30±0.10 mb, σ(N0(1650)π0)=0.49±0.07 mb, σ(ρ0n)=2.89±0.11 mb, σ(Δ−(1236)π+)=0.11±0.06 mb, σ(N+(1470)π−)=0.24±0.06 mb, and σ(N+(1650)π−)=0.45±0.05 mb. The spin-density matrix elements are determined for the ρ0 by interpreting the ρ0 asymmetry as an interference between the resonant P wave and a T=0 S wave. A search for the ε0 in the π+π−n final state failed to yield a direct observation of this effect.

The elastic scattering of negative pions on protons at 2.26 GeVc has been studied using the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory 72-in. hydrogen-filled bubble chamber. The elastic scattering cross section is found to be 8.91±0.24 mb. The forward diffraction peak is well fitted by an exponential in the square of the four-momentum transfer, and the slope is found to be 8.8±0.1 GeV−2. The differential cross section is parametrized in terms of three models: optical, strong-absorption, and two-slope. It is found that the two-slope model affords the best description of the data and also does very well in predicting the polarization data of other experiments. The best-fit parameters for all three models are given. In addition, the amplitudes associated with the best fits are given for the strong-absorption and the two-slope models.

Results are presented on the quasi-two body reactions π + p → Δ ++ π 0 and π + p → Δ s ++ η and 5.45 GeV/ c . Differential cross sections and Δ ++ spin density matrix elements in the t -channel and s -channel helicity systems are presented and compared with a Regge exchange model and the dual absorptive model.

Polarized cross sections for the reaction π − p → η n have been measured at 12 incident momenta between 1171 and 2267 MeV/ c . The data show that the polarization is small in the forward direction and there is a general trend for it to be large and positive near cos θ ∗ = 0.2 . These are the first published results on polarization effects in this channel in the resonance region. An energy-dependent partial-wave analysis has been performed and the couplings and branching fractions for decays of nucleon resonances to this channel are presented.

Data on the reaction π − p → π + π − π 0 have been taken at 12 and 15 GeV/ c with the CERN Omega multiparticle spectrometer. In a 3-pion partial-wave analysis strong production of A 2 0 (1310) and ω ∗ (1675) is observed. Total and differential cross sections are determined and density matrix elements presented as a function of t in the t - and s -channel frames. The energy dependence of A 2 0 production is studied, and a comparison of ω(780), A 2 0 (1310) and ω ∗ (1675) production is made.

The production of the f 0 (1270) has been studied in the reaction π − p → π + π − n at 12 and 15 GeV/ c in the momentum transfer range 0.02 to 0.80 GeV 2 . Differential and total cross sections for the reaction π − p → f 0 n have been determined. The f 0 decay density matrix elements have been evaluated requiring all the matrix eigenvalues to be non-negative. The relative unnatural and natural parity exchange contributions to the f 0 production have been studied. The results are compared with a Regge exchange model formulated in terms of the pion and A 2 exchanges including cut contributions.

The reaction π − p → ω n has been studied at 8 and 12 GeV / c incident momenta with the CERN Omega spectrometer using a neutron time of flight trigger. The differential cross sections and the ω-decay density matrix elements are presented as functions of the momentum transfer squared − t in the range of 0.02 to 0.80 GeV 2 . The data are used to evaluate the intercept and slope of both the natural and unnatural parity exchange trajectories. Regge exchange amplitude factorisation tests involving the reaction π N → ω N are investigated.

The ratio R of the differential cross sections for π - p→ η ′n and π - p → η n has been measured with high statistics and small systematic errors at 8.45 GeV/ c . R is generally interpreted as the relative content of nonstrange, ground-state quarks in η' and η. We find that R decreases with increasing ⋎ t ⋎; however, extrapolation to t =0 gives R (0) = 0.672 ± 0.032 (statistical) ± 0.47 (systematic) for the dominant spin flip cross sections, and R (0) = 0.500 ± 0.035 for the spin non-flip, in excellent agreement with results at higher energy. An improved value of the branching fraction ( η '→ γγ )/( η '→all) of 0.0200 ± 0.0018 is obtained.

J/ ψ production at 40 GeV/ c by π ± , K ± , p and p incident on hydrogen has been studied and results compared with those obtained on tungsten in the same experiment. On hydrogen, J/ψ cross-section ratios relative to π − have been measured to be (for x F > 0) σ(π − ) : σ(π + ) : σ( p ) : σ( p ) = 1 : (0.78 ± 0.09) : (0.83 ± 0.35) : (0.07 ± 0.04) . The suppression of the proton induced cross sections shows the importance of calence quark-antiquark fusiin J/ψ production at this energy (i.e. M J 2 / ψ / s =0.13).

Significant two-particle correlations of dynamical origin are observed in 200 GeV/c π−p inclusive interactions. This is demonstrated by comparison with kinematic correlations calculated from an independent-particle-emission model. Two distinct correlation types are observed: (a) unlike-particle correlations with correlation length ∼ 1.3 rapidity units independent of azimuthal separation, and (b) like-particle correlations with correlation length ∼ 0.4 rapidity units which are observed only for small azimuthal separations.

Total cross sections of π+ and π− mesons on protons and deuterons have been measured in a transmission experiment to relative accuracies of ±0.2% over the laboratory momentum range 0.46-2.67 GeV/c. The systematic error is estimated to be about ±0.5% over most of the range, increasing to about ±2% near both ends. Data have been obtained at momentum intervals of 25-50 MeV/c with a momentum resolution of ±0.6%. No new structure is observed in the π±p total cross sections, but results differ in several details from previous experiments. From 1-2 GeV/c, where systematic erros are the smallest, the total cross section of π− mesons on deuterons is found to be consistently higher than that of π+ mesons by (1.3±0.3)%; about half of this difference may be understood in terms of Coulomb-barrier effects. The πd and πN total cross sections are used to check the validity of the Glauber theory. Substantial disagreements (up to 2 mb) are observed, and the conclusion is drawn that the Glauber theory is inadequate in this momentum range.

The reactions π+p→Σ+(1385)K+ and π+p→Σ+(1385)K*+(890) are examined. The Σ+(1385)K+ differential cross section for −t′<0.5 GeV2 and spin density matrix elements agree with a Regge-pole model incorporating (nondegenerate) vector and tensor K* exchange with dominant M1 coupling. The Σ+(1385)K*+(890) density matrix elements are consistent with the quark-additivity predictions. A Y*+ at a mass of 1700 MeV is also observed in the Λπ+ mass distribution, produced opposite both K+ and K*+(890).

Cross sections, differential cross sections, single and joint spin-density matrix elements are given for the reactions π+p→(ρ0, ω)Δ++ at 10.3 GeV/c. Correlations between the vector-meson and the Δ++ decay angular distributions are observed. A discussion of the results in terms of particle exchange, SU(3) symmetry, quark additivity, and the equal-phase hypothesis is presented. The amplitudes for the process π+p→ρ0Δ++ are extracted by a model-dependent analysis and compared with current theoretical predictions.

The major production channels of four-prong final states resulting from π+p interactions at a center-of-mass energy of 4.5 GeV are studied. In addition to total production cross sections, comprehensive listings of partial and resonance production cross sections are also given for each final state of interest. All final states, including nπ+π+π+π−, are found to exhibit copious resonance production.