We discuss the structure of the momentum transfer distributions for the diffractive dissociation processes p → n π + , p → Δ ++ π − and K − → K 890 ∗0 π − . In the near-threshold mass region a clear break of slope is found around t ′KK ∼ 0.25 GeV 2 for the two baryonic channels, whereas no comparable structure is seen for the mesonic system. The K → K ∗ π differential cross section exhibits a nearly exponential behaviour up to t ′ pp ∼ 0.6 GeV 2 , falling over three orders of magnitude. The slope variations and breaks are strongly correlated both to the mass region considered and to the decay angle of the fragmentation system.

We have studied the reactions K − p → K − π + π − p and K − p → K 0 π − π 0 p at 14.3 GeV/ c using respectively 15 992 and 3723 events. Partial-wave analysis of the region 1.0 < m (K ππ ) < 1.7 GeV have been made using a modified version of the method developed at the University of Illinois.

We present experimental results on a number of K − p reactions at 14.3 GeV/ c that have three bodies in the final state. The final states are K − ω p , K − π p , Λπ + π − , Λ K + K − , Λp p , K ∗ − ω p , Λ(1520) K + K − and Λ(1520) p p . Whenever, with one exception explained by the Zweig rule, there is a K − or a proton in the final state, there is a diffractive-like threshold enhancement in the mass spectrum of the two recoiling particles. These enhancements account for a large fraction of the events in all but the Λπ + π − final state, where they cannot occur, and which is dominated by resonance production. We find evidence for the Q 1 (1300) decaying into K − ω .

About 15 000 K − Φp events have been collected in the CERN Ω′ spectrometer. A partial-wave decomposition of the K − Φ system is performed. The 1 + SO + wave is dominant. The 0 − P0 + and 2 − P0 + waves are important and show resonant behaviour at ∼ 1.83 GeV (Γ ∼ 0.25 GeV) and ∼ 1.73 GeV (Γ ∼ 0.22 GeV) respectively. The first one can be interpreted as the second radial excitation of the kaon while the second one can be identified as one of the two L mesons.

The STAR Collaboration reports on the photoproduction of $\pi^+\pi^-$ pairs in gold-gold collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV/nucleon-pair. These pion pairs are produced when a nearly-real photon emitted by one ion scatters from the other ion. We fit the $\pi^+\pi^-$ invariant mass spectrum with a combination of $\rho$ and $\omega$ resonances and a direct $\pi^+\pi^-$ continuum. This is the first observation of the $\omega$ in ultra-peripheral collisions, and the first measurement of $\rho-\omega$ interference at energies where photoproduction is dominated by Pomeron exchange. The $\omega$ amplitude is consistent with the measured $\gamma p\rightarrow \omega p$ cross section, a classical Glauber calculation and the $\omega\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-$ branching ratio. The $\omega$ phase angle is similar to that observed at much lower energies, showing that the $\rho-\omega$ phase difference does not depend significantly on photon energy. The $\rho^0$ differential cross section $d\sigma/dt$ exhibits a clear diffraction pattern, compatible with scattering from a gold nucleus, with 2 minima visible. The positions of the diffractive minima agree better with the predictions of a quantum Glauber calculation that does not include nuclear shadowing than with a calculation that does include shadowing.

Results of a high-statistics study of elastic scattering and meson resonances produced by π−p interactions at 8 GeV/c are presented. Large statistics and small systematic errors permit examination of the complete kinematic region. Total differential cross sections are given for ρ0,−, f0, g0,−, Δ±, Δ0, and N* resonances. Spin-density matrix elements and Legendre-polynomial moments are given for ρ, f, and Δ resonances. The results for ρ0 and f0 resonances are compared with the predictions of a Regge-pole-exchange model. Properties of the above resonances are compared and discussed. In particular, we present evidence that the ρ0 and f0 production mechanisms are similar. The similarity of the g0 t distribution to that of the ρ0 and f0 suggests a common production mechanism for all three resonances.

Photon diffractive dissociation, $\gamma p \to Xp$, has been studied at HERA with the ZEUS detector using $ep$ interactions where the virtuality $Q^2$ of the exchanged photon is smaller than 0.02 GeV$^2$. The squared four-momentum $t$ exchanged at the proton vertex was determined in the range $0.073<|t|<0.40$ GeV$^2$ by measuring the scattered proton in the ZEUS Leading Proton Spectrometer. In the photon-proton centre-of-mass energy interval $176<W<225$ GeV and for masses of the dissociated photon system $4<M_X<32$ GeV, the $t$ distribution has an exponential shape, $dN/d|t| \propto \exp{(-b|t|)}$, with a slope parameter $b=6.8 \pm 0.9$~(stat.)~$ ^{+1.2}_{-1.1}$~(syst.)~GeV$^{-2}$.

A study is presented of the process gamma p -->XY, where there is a large rapidity gap between the systems X and Y. Measurements are made of the differential cross section as a function of the invariant mass mx of the system produced at the photon vertex. Results are presented at centre of mass energies of W_gp = 187 GeV and W_gp = 231 GeV, both where the proton dominantly remains intact and, for the first time, where it dissociates. Both the centre of mass energy and the mx~2 dependence of HERA data and those from a fixed target experiment may simultaneously be described in a triple-Regge model. The low mass photon dissociation process is found to be dominated by diffraction, though a sizable subleading contribution is present at larger masses. The pomeron intercept is extracted and found to be alpha_pom(0) = 1.068 \pm 0.016 (stat.) \pm 0.022 (syst.) \pm 0.041 (model), in good agreement with values obtained from total and elastic hadronic and photoproduction cross sections. The diffractive contribution to the process gamma p --> Xp with mx~2 / W_gp~2 < 0.05 is measured to be 22.2 \pm 0.6 (stat.) \pm 2.6 (syst.) \pm 1.7 (model) % of the total gamma p cross section at W_gp = 187 GeV.

We report a measurement of the diffraction dissociation differential cross section d2σSD/dM2dt for p¯p→p¯X at √s =546 and 1800 GeV, M2/s<0.2 and 0≤-t≤0.4 GeV2. Our results are compared to theoretical predictions and to extrapolations from experimental results at lower energies.

The reaction γp→ρfast0pπ+π− has been studied with the linearly polarized 20-GeV monochromatic photon beam at the SLAC Hybrid Facility to test the prediction of s-channel helicity conservation in inelastic diffraction for t’<0.4 (GeV/c)2. In a sample of 1934 events from this reaction, the ρ0 decay-angular distributions and spin-density-matrix elements are consistent with s-channel helicity conservation, the π+π− mass shape displays the same skewing as seen in the reaction γp→pπ+π−, and the pπ+π− mass distribution compares well and scales according to the vector dominance model with that produced in π±p→πfast±pπ+π−.

We present results from a measurement of double diffraction dissociation in $\bar pp$ collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The production cross section for events with a central pseudorapidity gap of width $\Delta\eta^0>3$ (overlapping $\eta=0$) is found to be $4.43\pm 0.02{(stat)}{\pm 1.18}{(syst) mb}$ [$3.42\pm 0.01{(stat)}{\pm 1.09}{(syst) mb}$] at $\sqrt{s}=1800$ [630] GeV. Our results are compared with previous measurements and with predictions based on Regge theory and factorization.

Photon proton cross sections for elastic light vector meson production, σelνp, inelastic diffractive production, σndνp, non-diffractive production, σdνp, as well as the total cross section, σtotνp, have been measured at an average υp center of mass energy of 180 GeV with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The resulting values are σelνp = 18 ± 7 μb, σdνp = 33 ± 8 μb, σndνp = 91 ± 11 μb, and σtotνp 143 ± 17 μb, where the errors include statistical and systematic errors added in quadrature.

We report the first observation of diffractively produced W bosons. In a sample of W -> e nu events produced in p-barp collisions at sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV, we find an excess of events with a forward rapidity gap, which is attributed to diffraction. The probability that this excess is consistent with non-diffractive production is 1.1 10^{-4} (3.8 sigma). The relatively low fraction of W+Jet events observed within this excess implies that mainly quarks from the pomeron, which mediates diffraction, participate in W production. The diffractive to non-diffractive W production ratio is found to be R_W=(1.15 +/- 0.55)%.

Differential cross sections of p p forward elastic scattering were measured between 400 and 730 MeV/ c , and the real-to-imaginary ratio, ϱ, of the forward amplitude was deduced. We found that ρ increases from ∼ 0.1 to ∼ 0.4 in this momentum range. A dispersion-relation analysis shows the existence of a pole-like structure in the real part of the p p amplitude near threshold.

Results are presented onK+p elastic scattering and on the reactionK+p→K+pπ+π− at 70 GeV/c. For the

A search for charm production in the coherent diffractive dissociation reaction pSi→XSi was carried out for the modes D 0 → K − π + , D 0 → K − π + π + π − , and D + → K − π + π + . No charm signals were observed, and the 90% confidence level upper limit for coherent charm pair production was determined to be 26 μ b per silicon nucleus. The results are interpreted as an upper limit of 0.2% on the amount of intrinsic charm in the proton.

This paper presents the first analysis of diffractive photon dissociation events in deep inelastic positron-proton scattering at HERA in which the proton in the final state is detected and its momentum measured. The events are selected by requiring a scattered proton in the ZEUS leading proton spectrometer (LPS) with $\xl>0.97$, where $\xl$ is the fraction of the incoming proton beam momentum carried by the scattered proton. The use of the LPS significantly reduces the contamination from events with diffractive dissociation of the proton into low mass states and allows a direct measurement of $t$, the square of the four-momentum exchanged at the proton vertex. The dependence of the cross section on $t$ is measured in the interval $0.073<|t|<0.4$~$\gevtwo$ and is found to be described by an exponential shape with the slope parameter $b=\tslopeerr$. The diffractive structure function $\ftwodfour$ is presented as a function of $\xpom \simeq 1-\xl$ and $\beta$, the momentum fraction of the struck quark with respect to $\xpom$, and averaged over the $t$ interval $0.073<|t|<\ftwodfourtmax$~$\gevtwo$ and the photon virtuality range $5<Q^2<20~\gevtwo$. In the kinematic range $4 \times 10^{-4} < \xpom < 0.03$ and $0.015<\beta<0.5$, the $\xpom$ dependence of $\ftwodfour$ is fitted with a form $\xpoma$, yielding $a= \ftwodfouraerr$. Upon integration over $t$, the structure function $\ftwod$ is determined in a kinematic range extending to higher $\xpom$ and lower $\beta$ compared to our previous analysis; the results are discussed within the framework of Regge theory.

The analyzing power for elastic pd scattering at 3.5 GeV has been measured in the region 0.1⩽−t⩽1.5 (GeV/ c ) 2 , using the polarized proton beam at KEK. The angular distribution shows a behavior similar to that in the lower energy region. It is reproduced fairly well by the predictions of a multiple scattering model based on the Glauber theory.

The polarization parameters of the pn elastic scattering were measured at beam momenta between 1.30 and 1.82 GeV/c. The results are discussed in comparison with the partial-wave analysis of Hashimoto and Hoshizaki.

The polarization for the\(\bar pp\) elastic scattering was measured as a function of the centre-of-mass angle of scattering between 17° and 90° at the average incident momentum of 0.7 GeV/c by using doublescattering events in a bubble chamber. The average value of the polarization was found to be 0.23 ± 0.05. The angular dependence of the polarization obtained in this experiment was interpreted by the strong absorptive potential model for\(\bar {\mathcal{N}}{\mathcal{N}}\) interactions recently proposed.

The polarization of scattered antiproton in\(\bar pp\) elastic scattering has been measured at the kinetic energy of 220MeV by means of double scattering in a bubble chamber. The polarizations obtained are 0.28±0.11, 0.46±0.12, 0.51±0.19 and 0.38±0.31 at the scattering angles 28°, 42°, 56° and 73° in the c.m. system, respectively. These results do not seem to be in good agreement with a prediction given by Bryan and Phillips. We have also compared these data with a modified diffraction model.

The vector analyzing power has been measured for π+d elastic scattering at 0.74 GeV/c in the angular range of thetac.m.=40?(de–105°, using a polarized deuteron target in a large aperture spectrometer. A comparison with calculations based on the Glauber model was made.

The analysing powers in free →n p forward elastic scattering have been measured for incident neutron energies of 633, 784, 834, 934 and 985 MeV, and for momentum transfer 0.01 < ‖ t ‖ < 0.10 ( GeV / c ) 2 . The experiment used a recoil detector ionisation chamber which served at the same time as a gas target, and scintillation counters to measure the asymmetry of the scattered neutrons.

Asymmetries A 0 n have been measured at LEAR for s¯s elastic scattering for 15 beam momenta from 497 to 1550 MeV/ c .

The DIS diffractive cross section, $d\sigma^{diff}_{\gamma^* p \to XN}/dM_X$, has been measured in the mass range $M_X < 15$ GeV for $\gamma^*p$ c.m. energies $60 < W < 200$ GeV and photon virtualities $Q^2 = 7$ to 140 GeV$^2$. For fixed $Q^2$ and $M_X$, the diffractive cross section rises rapidly with $W$, $d\sigma^{diff}_{\gamma^*p \to XN}(M_X,W,Q^2)/dM_X \propto W^{a^{diff}}$ with $a^{diff} = 0.507 \pm 0.034 (stat)^{+0.155}_{-0.046}(syst)$ corresponding to a $t$-averaged pomeron trajectory of $\bar{\alphapom} = 1.127 \pm 0.009 (stat)^{+0.039}_{-0.012} (syst)$ which is larger than $\bar{\alphapom}$ observed in hadron-hadron scattering. The $W$ dependence of the diffractive cross section is found to be the same as that of the total cross section for scattering of virtual photons on protons. The data are consistent with the assumption that the diffractive structure function $F^{D(3)}_2$ factorizes according to $\xpom F^{D(3)}_2 (\xpom,\beta,Q^2) = (x_0/ \xpom)^n F^{D(2)}_2(\beta,Q^2)$. They are also consistent with QCD based models which incorporate factorization breaking. The rise of $\xpom F^{D(3)}_2$ with decreasing $\xpom$ and the weak dependence of $F^{D(2)}_2$ on $Q^2$ suggest a substantial contribution from partonic interactions.