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.

Multihadron production by electron-positron colliding beams has been investigated for total centre-of-mass energies ranging from 1.2 to 2.4 GeV. The total cross-section, σtot ≡ σ(e+e−→π+π−+ + anything), is of the order of σμμ ≡ σ(e+e−→μ+μ−), with a threshold near 1 GeV. Partial cross-sections for the various channels are also derived. The cross-section of the specific channel e+e−→π+π−π+π− exhibits an energy dependence which is suggestive of a heavier vector meson, ρ' (mρ,≈ 1.6 GeV,Гρ, ≈ 350 Mev), having the same quantum numbers as the ρ-meson. An upper limit is given for the coupling constantfρ′ (fρ′/4π<18, wherefρ′=mρ′2e/gγρ′). Final states withG+ parity are found to be much more abundant than those withG− parity. The average multiplicity (charged plus neutral final-state pions) is found to be betweet 4 and 5 over all the energy range explored.

We have measured the cross section of four charged pion production in photon-photon interactions in the invariant mass range 1.0≦Wγγ≦3.2 GeV and up toQ2=16 GeV2. For 1.2 GeV≦Wγγ≦1.7 GeV the process is dominated by ρ0ρ0 production with a rapid rise in cross section around 1.2 GeV, well below the nominal ρ0ρ0 threshold. The observed distributions in the two particle masses and in the production and decay angles are well described by an incoherent sum of the phase-space subprocesses γγ →ρ0ρ0, →ρ0π+π−, and →π+π−π+π−. A spin-parity analysis of the ρ0ρ0 system showsJP=2+ to dominate, although 0+ is also possible forWγγ≦1.4 GeV. Negative partity states are excluded.

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With an apparatus slightly improved with respect to a previous one we have studied multihadronic production at the Adone e + e − storage ring up to a maximum center of mass energy of 3 GeV.

Results are presented on the exclusive production of four-prong final states in photon-photon collisions from the TPC/Two-Gamma detector at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP. Measurement of dE/dx and momentum in the time-projection chamber (TPC) provides identification of the final states 2π+2π−, K+K−π+π−, and 2K+2K−. For two quasireal incident photons, both the 2π+2π− and K+K−π+π− cross sections show a steep rise from threshold to a peak value, followed by a decrease at higher mass. Cross sections for the production of the final states ρ0ρ0, ρ0π+π−, and φπ+π− are presented, together with upper limits for φρ0, φφ, and K*0K¯ *0. The ρ0ρ0 contribution dominates the four-pion cross section at low masses, but falls to nearly zero above 2 GeV. Such behavior is inconsistent with expectations from vector dominance but can be accommodated by four-quark resonance models or by t-channel factorization. Angular distributions for the part of the data dominated by ρ0ρ0 final states are consistent with the production of JP=2+ or 0+ resonances but also with isotropic (nonresonant) production. When one of the virtual photons has mass (mγ2=-Q2≠0), the four-pion cross section is still dominated by ρ0ρ0 at low final-state masses Wγγ and by 2π+2π− at higher mass. Further, the dependence of the cross section on Q2 becomes increasingly flat as Wγγ increases.

The reaction γ V p → p π + π − was studied in the W , Q 2 region 1.3–2.8 GeV, 0.3–1.4 GeV 2 using the streamer chamber at DESY. A detailed analysis of rho production via γ V p→ ϱ 0 p is presented. Near threshold rho production has peripheral and non-peripheral contributions of comparable magnitude. At higher energies ( W > 2 GeV) the peripheral component is dominant. The Q 2 dependence of σ ( γ V p→ ϱ 0 p) follows that of the rho propagator as predicted by VDM. The slope of d σ /d t at 〈 Q 2 〉 = 0.4 and 0.8 GeV 2 is within errors equal to its value at Q 2 = 0. The overall shape of the ϱ 0 is t dependent as in photoproduction, but is independent of Q 2 . The decay angular distribution shows that longitudinal rhos dominate in the threshold region. At higher energies transverse rhos are dominant. Rho production by transverse photons proceeds almost exclusively by natural parity exchange, σ T N ⩾ (0.83 ± 0.06) σ T for 2.2 < W < 2.8 GeV. The s -channel helicity-flip amplitudes are small compared to non-flip amplitudes. The ratio R = σ L / σ T was determined assuming s -channel helicity conservation. We find R = ξ 2 Q 2 / M ϱ 2 with ξ 2 ≈ 0.4 for 〈 W 〉 = 2.45 GeV. Interference between rho production amplitudes from longitudinal and transverse photons is observed. With increasing energy the phase between the two amplitudes decreases. The observed features of rho electroproduction are consistent with a dominantly diffractive production mechanism for W > 2 GeV.

The e + e − → π + π − cross section has been measured from about 280 events (an order of magnitude more than the previous world statistics) in the energy interval 1.35 ⩽ s ⩽ 2.4 GeV with the DM2 detector at DCI. The pion squared form factor | F π | 2 shows a deep minimum around 1.6 GeV/ c 2 and is better fit under the hypothesis of two ϱ-like resonance ⋍0.25 GeV/ c 2 wide with 1.42 and 1.77 GeV/ c 2 masses.

The e + e − → ηπ + π − reaction has been measured in the center of mass energy interval 1350–2400 MeV by the magnetic detector DM2 at the Orsay storage ring DCI. Under the hypothesis of only one large resonance the cross section is not fit in a satisfactory way. The branching ratio τ − → η − π 0 ν τ =(0.13 ± 0.02)% is deduced via CVC from the above measurement.

The e + e − → 3 π + 3 π − cross section has been measured between 1400 and 2180 MeV with the magnetic detector DM1 at the Orsay storage rings DCI. The cross section increases continuously above 1600 MeV and reaches 2 nb at the maximum explored energy, much larger than VDM previous estimates.